


Let Me Out

by Elillierose



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blood, Dark, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Excessive Swearing, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Possession, Spirit - Freeform, Supernatural - Freeform, Vulgar Language, ghost - Freeform, more may be added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-10-31 05:11:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 66,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elillierose/pseuds/Elillierose
Summary: Those who have passed have ways of clinging to the living, slowly tearing them apart from the inside; unaware of what's really going on, or where they are or what they are, they continue their desperate attempts to escape, unaware that they are no longer alive.In which Prompto has something a bit more difficult to handle hanging on to him.





	1. Teaser

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Alright, so this is the story I think I'm most excited about, seeing as it's one that is finally delving into the genre that I love most, that being horror. C: So hopefully people like this; this is mostly a teaser of sorts, so that's why it's so so short. Concept may be far fetched, but bear with me here.
> 
> Also have a message at the end.

That noise, so grating, so penetrating, scraping through the air and into his head. Like nails on a chalkboard, each drag resounding off the interior of his skull more painfully than the last. He didn't dare move, no, more so found himself unable to pry himself off the bed, or even convince his eyes to open if only the slightest amount. His body wouldn't let him, and at this time, Noctis understood true petrification, understood what it meant to be trapped and bound down by one's own fear. But, why was he so afraid? There was nothing to truly be afraid of. 'Scratch.' Another injection of ice plunged through him. Mumbling, spoken so softly, yet completely uncontrolled followed the sound. That sounded so unlike the friend he had come to know, and somehow, he could still hear him in it.

'Scratch.' He felt nothing as more terror was pumped though his veins, he wanted to call out, wanted to scream, to help, to do anything. But, he couldn't. There was no one but the two of them, no others around to hear him if he were able to give in to his urge.

'Scratch.' He had to do something, lying their like a frightened child would accomplish nothing. A shuddering breath. A demand to himself to just open his eyes, but what if what he saw was that of a true nightmare? No. That shouldn't matter. He needed him, and he would be damned if he was going to revert into a frightened child and leave him there on his own.

'Scratch.' Dammit, why was this so hard? Why was everything so numb, so encased in solidified horror, slowly suffocating him.

'Scratch.' So undenyingly calling him for aid, begging for someone to take it all away.

'Scratch.' Finally, his eyelids cooperated, cracking open, but nothing coming into view for them; only stark black greeting him with anticipation.

'Scratch.' He opened his mouth to speak, only succeeding in releasing a small and meaningless croak. Heart now grasped in chilled tendrils, weaving in and around, he held his breath before attempting again.

'Scratch.' "P-Prom?" Breathy and uncertain, his voice joined the fray of scrapes and mumbles, almost getting lost within them. The noise stopped. Though, relief should have replaced his fear, it didn't. Only more dread and more apprehension. "Prom?" He asked again, mustering the will to speak louder. A strained and agonized fueled sob took the place of his response; it shattered the border between reality and delusion, and he prayed to himself, begged to himself, that this was merely a bad dream. It had to be. Unseen weights painstakingly fled his body, giving Noctis permission to go to him.

He acted almost without purpose, limbs moving on their own as his instincts to just help took over. One foot on the floor, the other hesitating in its following, and another stifled wail brushing past him as he pulled his body upright. The process of walking over was slow, reluctant and cautious. The choking hold of utter and absolute panic teased its fingers across his throat and chest. "Prom, what are you doing?" his question pulled the other to a halt, the once rocking silhouette coming to a deathly stillness that sent a tremor through his spine.

"Lass mich raus," he spluttered out against another sob. "Lass mich raus, lass mich raus," he repeated, hand drifting back to the wall and falling back into its idle rhythm of clawing, clawing over and over without restraint. "Lass mich raus," he spoke louder, voice becoming more clear, taking on an edge that was so unlike him. Noctis took another step, footfalls drowned out by Prompto's desperate pleas. Foot in front of foot, each one being placed down reluctantly until he was within arm's reach.

"Hey," his heart raced, pounding against his ribs in an attempt to fruitlessly escape. It hurt, unimaginably so, "Prom, why don't you," he paused to lick dry lips, a trembling exhale fluttering out, "Why don't you go back to bed, alright?" He didn't recognize his own voice, it sounded too reserved, too restrained and trifling. Silence followed, deafening quiet that only assisted in accentuating the ringing blaring in his ears. His hand was reaching before he could constrain himself, "Hello?" It was placed on the blond's shoulder.

Prompto didn't react to the contact, only sign being him allowing his own shaking hand fall onto his crossed legs. He took a deep breath, the tremors racked through him and up the prince's own arm. A drawn out and anguish laden whine slipped out, his head careening forward to lean against the once pristine wall of their room. Even in the blackened night, the darkened stains stood out. "Come on, let's get you back," Noctis tried again, hand traveling down to his bicep and gently tugged.

Startled, he gasped, snatching his arm away as he dragged himself backwards, almost primal-like, pulling with his arms and kicking with his feet, only stopping once his back found the corner. His face was shoved against the wall, mouth agape in a silent cry, "Bitte, lass mich raus!" He pulled his knees under his chin, both arms now wrapped tightly around them protectively, "Ich will gehen, lass mich einfach gehen!"

Noctis still had his hand outstretched, hovering in shock and frozen in fear, breath hitching as he was once again at a loss of what to do.

"Lass mich raus!" He shouted this time, words echoing off the walls, seemingly taking on an imitation of itself. It was inhuman. This wasn't Prompto.


	2. To Altissia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting and istoleyourcheesecake  
> Ok, so this is the most time and effort I've put into a chapter/story yet, so really hope you guys enjoy. :D

"Hmmmm, I spyyyy something dusty and vast... and everywhere," Prompto drawled out, fingers tapping against the leather of his door in rhythmic annoyance. "Annnd nothing else," he added on after a verifying glance around their fleeting surroundings. "Like, literally nothing else; desert as far as the eye can see."

A quick and less than gentle 'thump' sounded on the back of his headrest, jolting him slightly in the process. "Spy quieter," Gladio huffed, seemingly growing irritated with the consistent string of complaints that had been streaming from the front seat over the course of the last hour. At last, blissful silence returned, shoving out the tedious gripes. He sighed out a sigh of contentment, only to instantly suck it back in and swallow it down when 'clicks' and 'snaps' entered his ears, like little slaps in the face. "You are about this close," slowly, he pushed his index finger towards his thumb, leaving only a hair of space between them, "to being a new attraction to this area."

"You know, murder is frowned upon for many," the blond needlessly reminded, taking another photo of the brute's unwavering scowl, even having the nerve to grin at him as he did so. "Come on, big guy, lighten up a bit," he pursed his lips, leaning over the seat, arms now draped over the shoulders of it. The driver now had his eyes set over, watching on warily; the urge to scold the young man for his reckless position was tugging at his tongue. But, he chased that temptation away, what was the point? He wouldn't listen to his heeding words of warning regardless of what he said. The best he could do was clear his throat audibly, exaggerating the noise in hopes he would catch the hint and correct the wrong-doing himself. Of course, that was giving far too much credit, "You ok?" Prompto asked, glancing over, "Not getting sick, are you?"

Ignis' fingers unconsciously tightened around the steering wheel, small and hushed squeals of leather on leather seeping out. "No, I am perfectly alright," he assured, fighting the instincts to grit his teeth, "Though, I cannot say the same about you if you continue with your incessant need of sitting every possible way except for the intended way," the words slipped out without his regard.

The gunslinger fell quiet. "Oh," he finally realized what the other had been so worked up about now. "You and Gladdy, always with the threats," he less than subtly pouted under his breath, turning around with a degree of more force than necessary for such an action. "Could have just asked," he mumbled, practically yanking the seat belt over himself.

"Tell me you would have listened," Ignis shot back, none too harshly, but knowingness stitching through his words. The stillness that ensued afterwards set his statement in stone. "Besides, it wasn't a threat, merely a few words of warning."

"Call it what you will, it doesn't take away the sting," he folded his arms over his chest, dipping down ever so slightly along with his slaughtered mood. "Not like we have to worry about hitting another car, I haven't seen one in ages."

The adviser's eyes had to resist the impulse to roll at the overstatement; he remembered seeing at least two in the last fifteen minutes alone. "That's beside the point," he answered anyway, choosing not to mention the mistake in his own remark. "There are a countless number of things that could cause an accident, other cars only being a fraction of those."

"Cool," Prompto masked his boredom with forced fascination, which still shone through brilliantly, blindingly really.

Of course, he couldn't blame them for being rather snippy, not after the day they've had. It felt like the imperials were only becoming more persistent in their advances, seemingly magnetized to them the moment they stepped foot outside into the light of day. So, it was no wonder everyone was short on fuses, barely being snuffed out before exploding with each time they spoke. Hopefully they could all unwind and extinguish their flaring attitudes with a night of real and genuine relaxation. 'Yeah right,' he thought, it would take a hell of a lot more than that to accomplish that task. With luck, though, they would be in Altissia, the city of pure beauty and magnificence, by the time night stretched over them; the thought of it alone painted a picture of calm in his weary mind; every stroke brought that expectation closer to reality. He smiled to himself, the promise of top tier accommodations were just within reach.

He turned his head slightly, gaze latching onto the occasional rock or decrepit tree, on the verge of crumbling under the sun's scrutiny, as they whizzed by. Yawning as he lost sight of yet another poor excuse of a shrub, his vision became shielded by his drooping eyelids. The wind assisted in blowing away his wakefulness in a gust of lulling temptation. Deciding to follow Noctis' example, he gave in, propped an arm against the door and placed his head snugly in the crook of his elbow. There wasn't a chance of him missing anything at least, that much was for sure, and with nothing to do, what better way to pass the time?

Source of the only escape from impending silence now teetering between the two realms, the Regalia was once again reduced to a shadow of its usual boisterous self. The remaining two of the group tried to relish in this momentary quiet, finally getting some muted time to dwell on their own frustrations. Ignis breathed weightedly through his nose, twisting his neck stiffly to the side as a few cracks sounded out, earning him a few minutes of liberation from the rigid sensation residing in his vertebrae.

"Not too much longer and we can have all this behind us, huh?" Gladio thought aloud, looking for no response in particular, only mindlessly wondering. He sighed heavily, placing his book to the side and turning to gaze over at Noctis, "In just a few short days, things will be completely different." It still seemed weird to him, but maybe that was due to the fact that he's known the kid the entire time he's existed, and the thought of him actually getting married sat strangely and unevenly in him. He smiled to himself, thinking how it felt like just a week ago, when he was teaching him proper sword techniques, not that he was particularly overly advanced now, but still. He'd come a long way since then.

The expert eyes of the adviser flicked to the rear view mirror, catching a quick glimpse of the man's sentimental expression, but losing it almost instantly as the man switched his own attention to something else, "Indeed, can't say if it will be for the better or for worse, but they will be quite changed without a doubt." He remained how he was for a moment, taking the extended silence in stride, "But if it does prove to have its worth, then I'll admit, I'll honestly be a bit surprised."

"Surprised?" Gladio asked, meeting the other's eyes through the reflection, "You beginning to have concerns over this whole marriage thing?" His tone adopted a blanket of false disbelief, clearly not at all rattled by the other's skepticism.

Ignis flashed another observant glance at the prince, making certain he was still out. "It just stands out to me as something rather precarious, is all," he answered vaguely, keeping most of his opinions on the matter locked up and to himself, the key buried deeply within his innermost thoughts and views. "It was proposed rather suddenly and out of the blue, so I have my reasons." He heard the shield huff out a dismissive grunt, accepting that as enough of an answer from the other. "Regardless of what I, or anyone else may think, this has to be done, and there's no deterring the inevitable."

He readjusted his position, straightening his back out when the slight slouch was beginning to pester him with its small, yet annoying, aches. Next were his shoulders, rolled back in an effort to rid the joints of their own pain-riddled jabs. The last time his body had objected this much was now a distant memory and he had his suspicions that all the recent stress was the main culprit in all this. Either that, or he really was getting too old for all the extra running around and fighting. He couldn't suppress the scoff that followed that train of thought; that was ridiculous, he wasn't that old. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, he stared ahead along the length of the road, the end of it lost in the distance, obscured like that of their own forthcoming fates. But, now wasn't the time for maudlin reflection, there would be more than enough time for that once all was said and done; for now, he would simply worry about them all getting to their destination in one piece.

'Easy enough,' he thought to himself, well, so long as everyone behaved and didn't fall into one of their reckless and senseless manners of doing things. He wanted to laugh at that ludicrous hope; it was like asking Cor to stop being immortal, never gonna happen. Hung up the prospect of that ever happening, he finally decided it was time to perhaps turn on the radio. A bit of background noise would be the perfect remedy for his festering nerves right about now. A few button presses here and a couple clacks there, and hushed but soothing instruments now emitted from the speakers, filling the silence with their appeasing tunes. Luckily, with the two picky listeners unbeknownst to this, there was no fussing over his choice in music.

The man allowed the melodies to carry him throughout the rest of the drive, relaxing and meshing into the motions of the road. Following it easily until at last, transitions in the terrain made themselves be seen, and hues of green began popping into view, standing out like lush beacons in the drab of aridness. Flitting glimmers of light danced over the horizon, giving way to the ocean that resided beneath. Habitually, his fingers glanced over the volume, turning the music down until it faded down to a delicate hum. He pulled the car over, easing it to a stop with practiced precision and turned the ignition off. Sighing, he turned his head, seeing that Gladio was already in the process of waking up the raven-haired, who in turn wasn't taking too kindly to the disturbance.

"Get up already, if we miss the boat I hope you know you're swimming there," Gladio urged, jabbing at the prince's side with a harsh and sturdy elbow.

Instinctually, Noctis replied by swatting a sluggish hand in the air, missing his mark by miles. "I'm up, I'm up," he mumbled, still sounding as though he were entrapped in his own dreams. "We're here already?" he asked, peeking through pressed lids, sun proving to be too much for his sensitive gaze. A hand hovered above his brow, blocking out the worst of it.

"Already?" Prompto repeated, stretching, moans escaping from between his lips as cracks sounded out along his spine, "Easy for you to say, you slept the whole way here."

Gladio sneered behind him, "Like you're one to talk, you weren't much better."

"Well, at least I put more effort into it than 'someone'," He shot a mocking look over to his friend, who missed the gesture due to his own struggle of waking completely up, he breathed out a breath of annoyance at realizing this. "Oh well," he shrugged it off, stepping out to stretch his legs. His eyes naturally strayed over towards the docks, locating their next ride with ease; it was pretty impossible to miss after all. "Whoa," he uttered under his breath, already in the process of strolling in its direction. "That's what we're going on?"

"Indeed," Ignis replied, swinging his own door shut and stuffing the keys in his pocket. It wasn't anything spectacular by any means, quite average really. But to someone who wasn't accustomed to such luxuries, such wonderful extravagance, it was absolutely stunning.

"It's incredible," he blurted out, unable to rip his focus away from it as he nearly shook with excitement. The idea that he was actually going to get to ride out at sea was an almost overwhelming concept to absorb, and he could already feel the breeze ruffling his hair, and the salty air assaulting his nose. "Let's get going, we have a wedding to get to!" he exclaimed, grabbing a sluggish Noctis by the wrist, almost dragging him as he let his inner child roam free.

The prince's initial reaction was to gasp at the intrusion, until he realized what was going on, "H-hey!" he stuttered, stumbling in the direction he was being bluntly hauled. "Prom, calm down will ya?" he said, but his body went with the flow, accepting its fate of being towed around like some broken down truck. "Can you at least slow down?"

"Sorry bro, no can do, 'slowing down' isn't on the schedule," he laughed joyously, going against the other's request and speeding up.

Noctis let out another noise of complaint, "Schedule? We don't have a schedule."

"I didn't say it was your schedule."

The other two stood back, staying out of this as they let it all happen, though they had to admit, it was mostly out of the desires for entertainment. "Should we help him?" Gladio asked after a few moments of enjoyment.

"Let them be," Ignis sighed. "He's a big boy, he can handle himself... I hope." He pushed his glasses up with a thumb, turning back towards the trunk, "Guess we've been left to do all the heavy lifting," he nearly fumed irritably. "You'd think they could have at least gathered their own belongings."

The shield hummed in agreement, hefting one of the larger duffel bags over his shoulder with a grunt of effort. "Yeah, don't worry, I don't plan on taking their stuff to the hotel, so that will be solely on them," he grinned as a particular thought teased his jest antics side, "Maybe we could even forget our own bags then."

Ignis shared his momentary amusement, right before he shot it right back down, "Do you honestly wish to risk that?"

"You may have a point," he admitted, looping his arm through the handles of yet another bag. Now with four of the packs draping off his form, he turned to head towards their next source of transportation, the other following close behind, steps sounding out almost in unison with his own.

To someone else, the baggage might have caused some issue, but to Gladio, this was a cake walk when compared to his morning workout alone; it was child's play, really. But, the closer he drew to the others, the heavier it felt, and the more it weighed down on him, the realization of their journey's end slowly dawning on him. Though, not all of it was a burden of despair, there was pride blended in as well, of course. "Here, take your things, I'm tired of hauling them around like some glorified lackey," he dropped Prompto's bag in front of him with an audible 'plop', Ignis doing the same, only with a pinch more care as Noctis' own bag was lowered to the ground.

"Thank ya, Gladdy daddy," Prompto cheerily piped, releasing his grip on Noctis in order to scoop up his belongings, the latter rubbing his arm as it rejoiced its newfound freedom.

The brute arched an eyebrow, staring at the blond for a few seconds, "Don't... ever call me that again."

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized as what he said quickly processed in his own mind, "It just sorta rhymed, and I didn't exactly think about it," he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, averting his gaze to fall on the ground. His lips curled inward before parting again with a sharp, 'pop', "Alright, guess we better get going then," he painfully and awkwardly switched the subject, face now decorated with a faint hue of pink. Without giving any of the others time to comply, he spun on his heel, losing his balance for a fraction of a moment and righted himself again in his haste.

The larger of the three shook his head slowly, turning to the others to receive their nods of acknowledgement, and together, they went after the gunslinger. They spotted him as soon as they rounded the corner, already over his hitch of embarrassment and gushing over the boat once again. Any closer and he probably would have gone for a disagreeable dip in the sea. His bag was disgracefully cast to the side, being replaced by his camera, an onslaught of white flashes erupting around him. Other passers-by kept their distance, either out of respect, not wanting to get in the shot, or the opposite, avoiding the disturbance with a grimace on their face.

"Prompto, there will be plenty of time for photos on the way there," Ignis reminded with a twitch tickling his eye, ushering the kid along, barely giving him time to grab his belongings as he swiftly offered his apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused to the surrounding patrons. "But please, bear in mind that not everyone is as appreciative at such things as you are," he informed politely, the underlying message telling him to keep his badgering to a minimal when indulging in his hobby. He was doubtful the blond was even aware that others weren't as accepting of such shameless passion as they were sometimes.

"I know, I know," he replied, skipping out of the advisers herding hands. "But, it's pretty dang difficult to get good shots of the outside if I'm on the thing." He offered the other a knowing wink.

This time, he couldn't refrain from the eye roll that pulled at him, "Surely one shot will suffice, unless you plan on filling a scrapbook with the boat alone."

Prompto shrugged, "You don't know, I just might." He stopped when a hand extended out in front of him, preventing him from stepping any farther. "Oh," he faltered, gazing up to meet the owner's eyes. He now took a step back as another hand was thrust out in front of him, Ignis handing the man four stubs, earning a nod of thanks from the man as well as passage. "Ohhh," he repeated, registering what that was about now, "Right, almost forgot these things require payment."

"Unfortunately, most things do," he waved the other two over, the four of them now finally stepping foot onto the ferry, the feeling almost dreamlike and surreal; it finally set things into motion, and made it all seem so much more real. As a whole, they mindlessly drifted towards the railings on the opposite side, claiming the spot as their own until they arrived.

"Oh man, this view was worth it alone," the blond continued to drool over the experience, taking every second of it and storing it away to hold onto forever. Without another moment gone to waste, his camera was back up.

Noctis leaned on the rail next to him, staring out at the horizon, off in the direction he knew them to be heading soon. Every small ripple upon the surface disturbing his own sense of normalcy in his life. His arms folded over the edge, the heat collected in the metal prodding at his skin, but he ignored it and placed his head down, eyes still watching the ocean in odd fascination. Guilt washed over him the longer he thought about it; this should be exciting, shouldn't it? So why was it that he felt so indifferent, so disenchanted about it? Perhaps it was the fact that it was just abruptly thrust upon him, his hand offered without him having a say in the matter. It felt unfair in a way, and something he had no control over, and something that truthfully terrified him down to his last fiber of being. He wasn't ready for this.

A sudden and uninvited arm wrung around his neck, jolting him out of his reverie with a small gasp, "Isn't it beautiful, Noct? It really just sets the mood, huh?" The blond cooed, gazing at the same scene as him, but clearly seeing a different image. What Prompto saw was beauty, freedom, and a vast world of opportunity, while he was drowning in the hesitation and trepidation of the what ifs.

"Yeah, it is," his stale voice slunk out, fluttering and dissolving in the array of noise as their ride began its movement.

"Oh man, I still can't believe this is happening!" Prompto practically yelled, leaning precariously over the rail as he peered down at the spraying waters, being propelled out from the sheer power and force. "This is still so incredible, dude. I don't even know what to say anymore."

Something latched onto the back of his collar and gave it a solid yank back, causing him to struggle to keep his balance. "How about you say nothing and try not to fall in," advised the gruff voice of the shield, not hiding his clear humor with the other's unadulterated enthusiasm. "Not really up to diving in to retrieve your ass."

"So, you admit you'd still go back for me," the blond poked a finger against the man's bare chest, jabbing directly over his heart.

The larger man placed his hand against the smaller's forehead, effectively pushing him back, "Don't think so highly of yourself, don't want the fish to get sick with you contaminating their home."

Prompto pulled away and lifted his hands above his shoulders in an animated shrug, spinning on the ball of his foot to face back out towards the vast waters, "Say what you will, but I know the truth." He reverted back to his previous position, head bowed so far over the only barrier between him and the ocean that it was a miracle he was still on board. As he stared off though, something felt... unsound from within. Ignoring it, he looked back up, eyes latching to the line where sea met sky. Though, it didn't quite shake that inner turmoil that was only becoming more aggressive and assertive, then it hit him. "I don't think I like this very much anymore," He whined, placing his forehead against the metal, battling with his stomach to at least try to hold down the fort.

His friend cut his eyes over as an agonized and uncomfortably groan was carried over in the breeze, "Everything alright?" he asked, noticing the greenish tinge his face had acquired.

The other dropped down into a crouch, keeping his grip on the railing. "Peachy," he spoke quickly from a clamped jaw, struggling with all of his might to keep it together. "How much longer?" he questioned, begging for it to be over now prevalent in his voice.

"We just got on," Gladio pointed out, tone damp with evident patronizing, "Maybe an hour or two tops."

The blond snorted at that response, "Uhhhhh, too long."

"What happened to, 'I can't believe this is happening'," the shield only half mocked, leaning on the rail next to him and gazed down. All he received was a small and pitiful shake of the head and a half assed attempt at hiding a gag, "Not seasick, are we?" He grinned down at the obviously suffering man, finding the whole ordeal to be somewhat humorous, if not slightly pathetic. "Come on, it's just a bit of water."

Ignis had himself perched on the other side of the shield, aware of what was going on beside him but left him to deal with this one. He was quite thankful the occasional upheaval of retching was being mostly eclipsed by the rushing waves... mostly. Glancing over, he looked past the sick and the supportive and landed on the prince, still staring off and lost in his own world of mixed emotions. He let out an extended and peaceful breath, pushing himself away from the edge. "I'm going for a quick walk around the deck, care to join?" he asked as he floated by Noctis, feeling more than seeing his presence drift on his left flank. "Tell me, Noct, it's obvious that something is troubling you about this, so what exactly is it?"

A sigh, an annoyed and troubled one, seeped out, "I dunno," he answered plainly. He juggled his thoughts around, choosing wisely which he wished to throw out first for the other to catch, "Look, I've known her forever, and I love her of course, it's just that... the way it's happened..." his sentence faded, unfinished in audio, but completed in expression. Eyes downcast, and step faltering into a more leisurely pace, he inhaled deeply and slowly let it out, "Yeah, I guess I just had other expectations."

They descended into comfortable silence, simply enjoying the heartfelt company of one another as they walked, strolling along until they nearly completed their lap. Knowing that he had the adviser's unspoken support in all this, he figured it would all be alright in the end, not to mention Gladio to make sure everything stayed pieced together. And, of course Prompto, his best friend that above the others could provide him with the 'normal' sense of life he never had. As if on cue, the unpleasant sounds of vomiting reached his ears. He glanced up, finding the blond still leaning over, the shield's hand now on his back as he let it all out. Things were gonna work out, as long as they were there, things would be fine.

_____________________________________

He could not be more ecstatic when their destination finally came into view, his heart now joined his guts in their flipping as they gradually pulled closer to the docks. The need to haul it to steady ground was swiftly and effectively stamped out by his still churning insides, knowing that running wouldn't make matters any more tolerable. "Come ooooon," he whimpered one arm wrapped around his midsection, other gripped onto the metal for dear life. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. He risked ripping his eyes away from the wood beneath his feet, the only think that was motionless for him, to peer up at Gladio. "Can we please get off now?"

"Just hang on a little bit more," the larger man encouraged, "Almost there." His hand slid from the other's shoulder down to the center of his back, rubbing small circles as the blond leaned over, closing his eyes tightly with the swimming that washed through his head. "Just a few more minutes," he added when another threatening shudder racked the blond's body.

Prompto used his free hand to offer a cheery thumbs-up, but it fell back down quickly to join his other arm in the task of holding himself together. "I don't ever wanna do this again," he strained out, clamping his mouth back shut.

"How do you think we're getting back?" his smile was shining through in his voice. The other groaned once again at the registration of that little oh so important reminder. The man chuckled to himself, just now looking around him to process their fresh surroundings, and even he had to admit how amazingly breath-taking it all was. He expected it to be grand and otherworldly, but not to the extent that it was. And the retirement of the sun as it submerged itself behind it, glaring off various windows and stony surfaces, only assisted in illuminating its beauty that much more. "You're about to miss your perfect shot," he poked the back of Prompto's head gently, urging him to gaze up.

He complied, glancing up for a fraction, not nearly enough time to appreciate the wonder, but more than enough to know that he needed a picture of it. The shield felt the rummaging as it reverberated through his hand, and one moment later, a camera was almost thrust into his face, causing him to flinch back to avoid it crushing against his nose, "I trust you."

"Wha–?!" he blurted, fumbling with the device in his hands, "Prom, I don't know how to use this damn thing," he complained, rotating it as he inspected every nook and cranny. "What the...?"

Just as the camera had done, a hand shot up, index finger bending in a pressing motion, "Click, click," Prompto struggled to get the words out, "That easy." He swiftly veered to the side in a panic, latching onto the rail until his knuckles drained of color, matching that of his face. His bodies desperate heaves to rid itself of things that weren't there caused the others to cringe, sympathy clutching at their hearts.

"Alright, I'll try, I guess," he held it up, lining it up the best he could with the way the boat twisted and turned, now preparing itself for docking. 'Good enough,' he though, snapping the shot without another shot. Well, he figured it was better than nothing at all. "Hope you approve of it," he went to hand it back, but the way the other was still almost kissing the ocean, he pulled it back, "On second thought, I'll just hang on to this until you're finished."

A small head bob signaled his go ahead, still facing away from the other. "Alright, Prompto, pull yourself together, we have to get going shortly," Ignis patted lightly on his back, "I'll grab your bag, just focus on not throwing up between here and the dock."

Another nod. "Alright," he muttered, finding the single word to almost be an invitation for more puking, "Easy enough." One finger at a time, he pried them off against their will as they curled habitually, trying fruitlessly to cling back on. But, he was able to win the small battle of will. Though, he still allowed one hand to hover over the length as he walked, ready to return to his safety position should the need arise before he reached his salvation.

The going was gradual and unpleasant, but with time and effort, he was able to reach his goal, immediately crumbling into a heap onto the first bench he came across. On top of things, as per usual, Ignis fished around in his own bag until he located what he was seeking. "Here," he outstretched his hand towards Prompto, bottle of water held within, "You should drink some of this, it will help." The blond uttered his hasty thanks, fumbling with the cap. "I think I have some single packs of crackers somewhere in here as well for such instances such as these."

Once the wavering gunslinger took a couple experimental sips, he held up a hand. "I'll pass," he already had an arm wrapped back around himself as the water fought against settling.

"Should at least have something in you, or else you'll only feel worse," he returned to searching for the light snack, finding it and handing it over in the same manner. The younger mumbled under his breath incoherently, but accepted it with gratitude nonetheless. With shaking hands, he almost dropped the packet more than once, but managed to save it just in time both times. "As soon as you feel well enough, we should be on our way."

He nodded between crunches, barely nibbling at the corner of his first one. He managed to get two down without issue and stuffed the other half into his pocket, "I think I'm good," he unsteadily stood back up, looking up to the sky as guilt gripped at him realizing how long they sat there. "Sorry about that," he chuckled nervously, accepting his camera back from Gladio, "Not sure what came over me."

"Sea sickness," Ignis replied plainly. "It's fairly common, and given you never being in a situation such as that, understandable." Giving the younger a comforting sideways smile, he handed his bag to him as well, "Think you can handle this now?"

"Y-yeah, no problem," he graciously took the baggage from the man and swung it over his shoulder, only stumbling slightly when the sudden shift in weight almost toppled him backwards. "Okie dokie, let's get back to it," he brushed by the two older men to stand next to Noctis. "Better enjoy the remainder of your single life while ya can," he joked, giving a light punch to his upper arm.

The prince humored him with a returning jab, "I'll try as best I can."

Luckily, it wasn't too much of a walk to their hotel, but with the crowds that swarmed the night streets, the journey there was that of a troublesome and tedious kind. On more than one occasion, they drifted apart, ripped from one another's presence by the frequent cutting off of citizens. Multiple voices and chatters and laughters filled the crisp air, but there was one that stuck out as odd to Prompto. It wasn't one of jubilance, bit one of... despair maybe. He fell behind as he quickly scanned around, trying to find the source of the hushed and outweighed sob. There was no one who appeared to be crying in such a way, and from the looks of it, either no one cared, or no one else was hearing it. He jolted, biting down on his tongue to stop the shocked gasp from escaping, "Are you sure you're alright?" Ignis asked, concerned that the younger may have still been feeling slightly ill.

"You didn't hear that?" he asked, casting the earlier question to the side, "Like crying, or something." He continued to scan around. Again, it was faint, but it was definitely there, echoing delicately off the buildings nearby. "There," he turned to the side, stepping down a few steps absentmindedly, "What is that?" he asked mostly to himself.

He would have kept going if it weren't for the solid grasp on his wrist, "Where are you going?" Ignis asked, bewilderment etched into his features.

"We need to see what's wrong," he answered matter-of-factly. "Something has to be wrong, they wouldn't be crying otherwise." He stared back at the man, not at all oblivious to the skeptical gaze he served him. "What?" he questioned in offense.

"What crying are you talking about?"

"Th-the crying, you had to have heard it," he almost missed the way his heart rate had increased, putting his nerves on end. "It came from down there, I'm sure of it." He tugged at the man's grip, trying to drag him along if he had to, "Come on already."

Ignis sighed heavily. "Very well, if it will set your mind at ease, then we shall check it out," he waved the others over, who were standing patiently nearby. They obliged, a mix of curiosity and confusing mangled inside them. The blond gave them an appreciative smile before turning back towards the corridor the short entryway opened up into. Another set of stairs, and the sobbing was now painfully clear to him, stretching out like pleading fingers, caressing his senses. A cool and quick shudder racked his body as he tiptoed down the last two steps, the others close behind.

"Hello?" he called, voice taking on the borderline of cracking under his anticipation and unease, "Anyone down here?"

"I told you, there's no one here," Ignis said, turning back around, "We should get going now, it's getting rather late."

Prompto stood at the bottom for a moment, pulse still thrumming and skin still crawling with pins. "But, I know I heard it," he whispered denyingly. As the others' footsteps sounded off, bouncing off the stone walls and phasing straight through his being, he walked a little further in, making his way towards the center of the room, each step adding to the chorus of reverberations, almost without his consent. He stopped when he locked eyes with the only other pair to be seen; lifeless orbs stared back, holding no essence. A painting. That's all that was here, yet convincing himself that he heard nothing was hard to accept.

"Prompto? You coming?" Gladio asked, stopping at the top, staring down as he could now barely see the blond under the top of the doorway.

"Yeah, coming!" he called over his shoulder, shuddering again at the way his voice was carried back to him. With one last fleeting glance at the painting, he bit his lip and turned on his heel, making haste back towards the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some chapters may take longer, have a friend down for a while that id in the military, so don't get to see him often, plus have a con in less than two weeks, so things might slow down soon for a little bit.
> 
> Also, my notes are being hella weird, and it's showing the notes from the teaser bit here as well, so I'm confused and just ignore them. lol


	3. A Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Also, I usually set a minimum word requirement for my chapters, but for this one, I think I'll 'go with the flow' to see if it helps prevent things from sounding too stiff or forced.
> 
> And I just goofed and accidentally posted this to the wrong story. O___O I think it's right now. lol

Lying there, in gross stillness, the evened out breaths of the others swirled around their room, seemingly almost too loud for his hounding and prodding thoughts. 'I know I heard it', he recounted over and over until the phrase had lost all coherent meaning; that off putting sob resounded throughout the back of his skull, like a parasite feeding off his infatuation, 'I know I did.' A sharp and restless swivel to the right, 'Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me,' he sighed, casually allowing his eyes to glide open and stared off into the limitless darkness, eyes darting ineffectually around in search of he wasn't sure what, but he assumed anything that would validate his earlier suspicions. Closing his eyes once more, chastising words replaced the previous disclaiming ones. He was tired. He was still feeling slightly ill from the ride over. And, he was in a new place, perfect conditions for the imagination to meander and flourish, so who's to say he did hear anything. No one else did.

He needed to clear his head, and wallowing around in his own mangled thoughts and concerns sure wasn't the way to accomplish that. Hesitation bound him though, and sleep caressed, causing the urge to go for a walk sound less ideal. But, something pleaded him, something rooted inside berated him, pelted him with pebbles of urgency until the temptation to go was his only worry. Before he could ponder the notion further, he was already on his feet, them moving on their own accord towards their door. Hand on the knob, he twisted it cautiously, flinching and cringing with every minute and insignificant 'squeak', that sparked out from it, the quietness of their quarters heightening the small noises. With care and precision, he was out, and not a single sign of the others noticing.

Prompto took a moment of seclusion to subdue his nagging heart, the manner in which it fluttered against his chest provoked his nerves into an apprehensive frenzy; caused them to prickle the underside of his skin. This felt almost...immoral, like he was retracting his faith from the three of them and locking it away. But, he knew this to be the easiest way to investigate further without interference. He placed his first step away from the building; he'd return before they realized anything was amiss. As he drifted down the street, it became agonizingly clear how desolate the city had become, eerily so; gazing around, not a single presence in sight, not an ounce of sound other than his own hurried and echoed footfalls. Though, for some reason, none of this struck him as a warning, none of it screamed at him to go back and forget all of his festering curiosities.

His destination grew closer, and with it as did the volume of his breaths and his steps, both bouncing off his surroundings and stabbing through his eardrums, swallowing all his other senses, all aside from his sense of unease. That one continued to barrage him with vigor, threading through him as it tugged him along. Just up ahead, not much further, that identical wail pierced those other sounds, slicing through them with ease. And, he was certain the sharpened cry cleaved straight through him as well, he could almost feel the chilled edge as it made its contact. Prompto's haste came to an abrupt halt when he reached the top of the steps, and for a while he could only stand there and watch from a distance; fear now held him back now that he had arrived and the anticipation washed over him.

Another puncturing cry and his body was lured back into its weighing need to help, taking the steps one precise and deafening step at a time. "Where are you?" his voice sounded in stark contrast to his descent, "Please, I want to help." A sob, small and reserved, replied to him. "Hello?" he called after it, reluctantly hovering towards where he thought it to come from. Within a fraction of a moment, there he was, staring back into those oil orbs, lifeless and draining eyes staring at him, captivating his whole being. Fingers tentatively and perceptively trailed down the painting, running over ridges and blemishes of paint. They stopped, lingering a centimeter above the corner of crimson lips, chilled air brushing over their tips. He glanced back up, his own breath hitching at the glistening he found residing in those blackened orbs. Using a thumb, he swiped at it, coming away damp, shaking as another droplet took its place.

"Wha-" fingers, fingers that weren't his own, clasped around his wrist, transferring icy prickles of pain into his veins. He gasped, momentarily losing the use of his vocal cords, and he glanced down. Stroked flesh wrapped around his own real skin, twisting around it in a meshing spiral. His breathing huffed out in quickened panicked puffs; his arm was going numb, losing its feeling due to the overwhelming cold, branching farther up to his shoulder. He could feel them slithering through his veins, freezing them and grasping them as they scouted out his heart; each pump of blood served as push needed to guide the sensation closer to its goal.

He was getting dizzy, the room spun in disorienting directions, his chest heaved as he struggled for simple and short breaths. Oxygen wasn't reaching him, he could feel the way his body was already desperate and praying for it. Mouth opened to beg it to stop, the plead with it to cease whatever it was doing, but nothing, lips were unable to part and the bitter taste of oil coated his tongue, tickling and suffocating as it streamed down his throat. The urge to gag clawed at him, ripping at him as the substance trickled out of the corner of his mouth. He was dying, he was positive about that, dying alone and slowly, and no one knew where he was. He was dying and the last thing he would here was that damned crying, still assaulting him in droves.  
______________________________  
He jolted upright, chest expanded in heaves, pain-filled and hastened heaves that left his limbs trembling. Beads of sweat steamed down his face, mirroring that of his back and neck. "Hey, you alright?" Noctis asked next to him, the unexpected voice startling him as he spun to face him, wide sky eyes locking onto deep midnight ones. He didn't know how to respond, after what he just experienced, the authenticity and terror that survived his waking, he wasn't sure how he could, "Dude, why are you crying?"

"Hmm?" he reached up, dabbing a finger under his eye and came into contact with the wetness that sat there. "Weird," he uttered, voice cracking from both dryness and alarm, and he could have sworn the aftertaste of paint still plagued his tongue. Quickly, he rubbed the back of his hand over them, ridding them of any unwelcomed tears. He roughly cleared his aching throat, cringing at the way it stung, "Just a really...strange dream," he swallowed hard, shoving down the crumbs of fear left behind, and, unconsciously, he pulled his arm to his chest, pressing it against his top just to be certain he could still move it, could still feel it.

A shiver ran down his spine, the feeling of other eyes on him becoming apparent when he remembered the other two not too far away. Offering a minor and insincere smile, he lifted a hand in awkward greeting, "Morning." Gladio reluctantly reflected the gesture, grunting his own acknowledgement, eyes flitting from plastered hair to moistened eyes, confusion and disorientation mending into one within them. Neither him nor Ignis commented on the blond's disheveled appearance, deciding it wasn't their business to pry unless it should become a reoccurring and troubling matter.

"I'm going to get breakfast started," Ignis gracefully got to his feet, casting a fleeting glance at Noctis, earning an equally bewildered look back. He gave a quick and knowing bow in confirmation, "Anyone want anything in particular before I begin?" The chorus of 'nahs' and 'nopes' sounded off to his back, each one like a throwing knife laced with annoyance. Of course, no one ever decided, left to his own accord as per usual.

Prompto peeled away the cover with tremor-racked fingers, tossing his legs over the edge of the bed when he felt unreasonably warm all of a sudden. "Well, I'm taking a shower," he announced, the need to wash away the tacky substance prevalent. Stiffness invaded his joints as he walked, tension pulling at his muscles in an oblivious attempt to make himself appear smaller to hide his blinding embarrassment; only taking the time to relax once the door was closed and his connection the others was shut off. He let out an elongated breath and brushed his clinging bangs to the side, cringing at the way they adhered to his fingers in the process.

He leaned over the sink, turning the cold water on to max and splashed a generous amount over his grimy features, flinching at the chill that brought him to full alertness. 'Calm down, it was a dream, get over it,' he scolded himself internally, finding the entire thing somewhat laughable. He wasn't a child anymore, he shouldn't be this unsettled by things like that. Gazing in the mirror, he fixed a stare with himself, almost expecting to see those same voided spheres looking back; a silly thing to predict, honestly.

Biting his lip, he shoved himself off the edge of the basin and made quick work of that shower he had been so inclined to take, turning the water on to be mostly cool in hopes it would pacify his unease. He let the water filter through his fingers for a good while, starting to have second thoughts about the temperature now that he could feel how unpleasant it was really going to turn out to be. But, he ceased his internal whining and sucked it up; the chill would do wonders for his loitering worries and he knew it.

For longer than he should have, he simply stood there, allowing the tendrils of coolness to cascade down him as it carried his hair down to drape around his face. One hand was fixed against the tiles, supporting the rest of his body while he focused on clearing his muddled thoughts, tilting his head back and let the streams rinse over his face and relished in how much better it already felt as the tackiness slowly ebbed away.

Outside, Ignis listened as he heard the water start, its continuous pelting against the porcelain surface, falling into the background of the sizzling that sounded in the pan. Absentmindedly, he pushed the eggs around, their whites jiggled soothingly as they skated around. As golden rivers flooded into the pristine whites, he snapped back into focus, swearing to himself for messing up on something as simple as eggs. Oh well, it wasn't that much of an issue, he supposed he'd just have to change them to scrambled instead; it would work out just as well.

It was then that the drawling voice of some random news reporter flowed into where he was, only a few words being picked up, but he was easily able to piece together what they were going on about in such an admirable tone; something about the prince, that much was certain. Going on and on about him being in their great city and relaying the events that everyone was already filled in on, and he felt a bit of irritation at the need they felt to perpetually remind and drag on about it. "Can you please change it to something else?" Noctis asked, the same annoyance Ignis felt lacing his words. The voice was instantly silenced, a new one taking its place, this one having a much more deadpanned tone, paused interjecting occasional as what he was saying was obviously difficult to get out there.

The fading of the other's conversation only assisted and making the man's words more punctual and more painful as each word uttered drove a stake through each of them. All other words fell silent to them, only three striking them; "King Regis dead," those words deafening them to all else. The popping in front of him seemed to sound more like mini explosions now, the monotone sound of the shower becoming overwhelming as it blanketed him. Fingers unconsciously tightened around his utensil; 'What the hell?'

"What!?" Came Noctis' new and contrasting enraged injected voice, a loud and sudden bang sounding from the other room, causing the walls to shake slightly with the force. "What the fuck is this all about!?" His words cracked, crumbled under his unbelievably denial, "Is this some sort of sick joke!? Do they honestly think this shit is funny, or amusing!?"

"Noct, calm down-" Gladio attempted to placate.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" the prince snapped back, the sounds of a clear scuffle as he broke free from the other's calming hand, back-handing the offending hand away. "How am I supposed to act about this? They're claiming my father is dead!" Uncomfortable silence, only being broken by the still rambling on from the television. Heavy and angered breaths puffed out as he tried desperately to keep his rage in check. Ignis kept his head down, keeping to himself for the time being; there was no use in trying to talk things out with Noctis now, not with him as livid as he currently was. "I'll be back," no one tried to stop him, no one wanted to stop him, as he brushed past the adviser, none to gently, and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him as he exited.

The others remained as they were, shock encasing them, preventing them from acting; Ignis only doing so when he was rudely reminded of what he was previously doing; smoke and burning aroma drafting into his nostrils. In alarm, he swiftly switched the burner off and transferred the pan to the sink, flooding it with a steam of water before anything had the chance to catch flame. Fixated as he was, he almost missed the shower switching off, the opening of the door, and even the questioning concerns the blond was voicing as he entered their area in a bewildered panic; water was still dripping off his saturated hair, splattering on the floor from his half assed attempt of drying off. "Wha-what's going on?" he stammered, teeth clacking together with arms wrapped around himself. He glanced around, searching hopelessly for his friend, coming back empty, "Where's Noct?" The silence and averted gazes that answered him piqued his worries, bubbling up as already potent unease.

Gladio looked towards the image on the screen, Prompto following suit, pictures and footage of the downfall of their home playing out, commentary overwriting the destructive orchestra as they explained what had taken place, what tragedies had befallen the city. His mouth fell open in unspoken inquiries, his vocals unable to form the questions that swarmed him. "I think he needs some time to himself, he'll come around and we can talk things out then," Gladio placed a hand on Prompto's shoulder, a friendly gesture that the other slinked out from under.

"Where did he go?" he asked, words tumbling out without hesitation, "Where is he?" He didn't wait for an answer, shoes already being pulled on, thrown on haphazardly.

"Just wait for him to come back," Gladio tried to reason, "This city is huge, there's no telling where he is by now. For all we know he probably warped off somewhere we can't even get to," he sat on the edge of the bed, dropping himself onto uncivilly and ran a shaking hand through his tousled, grease-stricken hair. Breathing in deeply, he let his hand fall down onto his lap, "Better if we just wait." The man glanced up at the other when he stepped by, steps taken in long and hurried strides, "Hey, I just said-"

"I don't care what you said, I'm going after him," the blond jogged towards the door, ignoring the other's borderline pleading recommendations to remain there. Ignis, on the other hand, treated this the same as he did Noctis, both of them being just as stubborn as the other, he knew there was no use in saying anything against it. They would both follow their emotions, tossing reason and logic aside in order to divulge in those driving feelings.

The bite of the crisp morning air stung ten fold due to his still drenched form, and pulling his vest tighter and more snug around himself, he set off despite having zero indication as to where the prince had gone; hell, he didn't even know where anything was in this city, so he was destined to get himself lost. Though, that wasn't his main predicament at the moment, he had far more urgent things to entertain his mind with which, of course, was finding Noct before he got himself into to trouble or did something foolish he would come to regret. He glanced up and down the street, which were crowded and bustling even at this early hour. Looking towards the direction with with the least amount of commotion, he decided on that one, realizing Noctis would have wanted to be as alone as possible.

"Noct!" he called out on repeat, his own voice quickly grating down on his nerves as each one was met with confused stares and curious mumbling from those around him; he was aware of how foolish he must have appeared, soaking wet, clothes thrown on without caution as he roamed the streets calling out for the prince. He felt like a complete mad man as his head swiveled to here and there, meeting gazes of meddling onlookers who didn't bother to hide their digging eyes. "Noctis! Come on man!" he yelled out again, locking eyes with an older woman setting him with a worried look, probably wondering what someone such as himself was doing at a time like this. Ducking his head, he kept moving forward, holding his stare on his feet as to avoid anymore awkward eye contact with prying strangers. He grit his teeth as he side stepped out of another gawking passerby, muttering something incoherent but clearly offensive under his breath at the alarm-stricken blond's behavior.

In his search obsessed and water soddened state, he was almost unaware of the first speck of moisture that struck his cheek; it wasn't until the third or fourth that he was alerted to the oncoming downpour, drops picking up speed and coming down in renewed forces. His soaked body was refreshed with moisture in a matter of seconds. "Noct!" he shouted out again, voice being drowned out easily ad effectively in the choir of precipitation, and his heart fell with it. Swearing under his breath, he veered to the side to finally shield himself from the rain, taking refuge under an overpass. Shivering and huffing through clattering teeth, he slid down the length of the concrete wall, sliding down and drawing his knees up in order to rest his chin on them, he stared forward.

With a sigh, he leaned his head back, switching his vacant stare to look above him, scanning over the various cracks and blemishes that adorned the underside. "Where the hell are you?" he breathed out, directing it at no one in particular, maybe it was towards himself, but whatever it was, it didn't help any. Not that he expected it to. Closing his eyes, he allowed the soothing sounds of rain to carry his troubled mind, wondering fruitlessly where the other could have gone, but at the same time giving up on finding him anywhere. Gladio was right, he should just head back and wait there for him to return; it made a hell of a lot more sense then sitting here like a stray dog wondering aimlessly for his missing owner.

He groaned as he pushed himself back up, his clothes clinging to him heavily and making every small move uncomfortable and stiff. For a moment he stood there, admiring the sheen and overlay of gray the weather brought up, and with a deep breath and another fleeting glance around, took a step out into the watery fray. A shuffling noise. Quick and sudden; gone as soon as he heard it.

"Noct?" He asked quietly, an edge of disquiet to his question.

Again, a scurry of subtle noises, scuffling off somewhere behind him.

He spun in his heel, "Noctis? You there buddy?" his words bounced back, fading when they reached the curtain of rain behind him, "Come on, I just want to talk, we don't have to go back yet." For the first time, he glanced around, just now recognizing the area, eyes landing in the staircase that lead downward, his stomach clenching at the recollection of his dream and he begged to any god that was listening that Noctis wasn't hiding out down there. As he pleaded with the divine, the sound teased him again, this time it was escorted by a voice, a familiar one at that. 'Dammit,' he swore to himself, "Noct, I'm coming down, alright?" Of course, he got no response just like usual.

Curses and remarks of despair reverberated up and around the blond, each punctuated by one of the princes sobs of dismay. Prompto swallowed his fear, shoved down his childish trepidation and strode over to the top of the stairs and gazed down, foot hovering over the first step in danging apprehension. 'Noct needs you, stop letting a stupid dream hold you back,' he berated himself, lowering his foot to greet that first decline. The next few came more easily, reluctant and still forced, but more smoothly. "Come on, man, at least say something, his tone solicited for a reply, for confirmation that it was indeed his friend that he was hearing and not another ploy set in play from his over reactive imagination.

A humanized sound responded, though it didn't sound like Noct, it didn't sound like anyone he knew, but it did come across as someone he knew, or someone he needed to go to. He breath caught in his throat, clenching painfully as his feet continued to move on their own, taking one stair purposefully at a time until he was standing at the bottom once more; and, he hoped to everything, anything, that this was just another dream. But something nagged at him, and pestered him, that it was anything except for that. His heart skipped though, either in shock or relief he wasn't sure, though it fluttered at the curled up form leaning in the corner; their shoulders shook with obvious cries, sniffles and wails frequently being expelled from its position. Ruffled and dark fingers jutted from the top, obscuring the face that resided underneath.

Prompto blinked a few times, making sure his eyesight was clear and pristine before walking slowly over, "There you are," he whispered, stopping a couple feet away, "You had me worried for a minute there," he laughed nervously, heart bleeding for what Noctis must be feeling right now. "You wanna talk about it, or would you rather be left alone?"

The other continued his rhythmic cries, almost as if his actions were on repeat, a record stuck on a scratch, replaying the same few notes over and over. Prompto stepped closer, stopping when he could almost touch the other, "Noct?" he asked, becoming gripped with fear and bound by concern, "Hey, you in there?" he chuckled again, the sound lacking all humor and amusement though. He shook his head, droplets of water flying in either direction, and took that one last step required in order to place an attention seeking hand upon his shoulder. The contact surged soul-clutching terror up his arms, grasping at his chest; he felt cold, not in the rain-soaked sense, but in the encased in a frozen embrace sensation.

"Hilf mir," Noctis muttered, leaning even further forward, head almost touching the wooden surface of the flooring, "Bitte hilf mir," his voice cracked from clear sorrow and suffering.

"Noctis, I-what are you saying? I can't," he gasped as the chill stung at his limbs and heart, threatening to stop it with each beat it produced, "I can't understand you."

"Warum lässt du mich nicht einfach gehen?" his shudders and trembles came to a halt, a deathly stillness that urged the blond to move, to get out of there, but his legs were rooted in place, forbidding him from fleeing, preventing him from running from whatever this was. "Ich will gehen, warum darf ich nicht?" his head rotated slowly to the side, eyes becoming visible at last as the stared pleadingly up into Prompto's, lifeless orbs of swirled and stroked black peering into him and picking him apart from the inside, "Lass mich raus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Also, I usually set a minimum word requirement for my chapters, but for this one, I think I'll 'go with the flow' to see if it helps prevent things from sounding too stiff or forced.


	4. When You Need Me Most

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake

"Noctis..." Prompto's throat seemed to collapse in on itself, words beyond the uttered name refusing to exit. His eyes remained locked on that artificial gaze, the absent stare which bore hollowly into his own awe-stricken one. A suspended moment of burdened and thick silence; a split second of hushed expectancy, they held one another's eyes. The blond's foot scuffed over an inch, sliding involuntarily, the anticipation staggering what little composure he still had a trembling grasp on. He felt a creeping bead snake down the side of his face, trailing down his neck as it bobbed with a nervous swallow. He felt nauseous, altogether sick at the emptiness those blackened orbs held.

The other emitted a strange and gargled sound, almost like that of choking, hacking as he nearly doubled over with the force and pain of it; enough for him to rip through the chain that bound their gazes. "Wh-what's wrong?" he asked against his protesting heart, stifling its persistent warning with another unsteady step forward. Congested and muggy, a wail bled out, stretching out and winding as it escaped. This sound, piercing, unnaturally being carried out, beckoned him to go to its aid. So he did, he walked forward, feet hovering over the floor, not a thought being spared as he moved. More hacking was choked out, followed immediately by a wet and splattering squelch; his guts twisted and churned at the noise, eyes darting down to the floor. Black. Black gunk, dense and waxy in appearance, adorned the floor in front of him; bits of it reaching as far as his own shoes.

A strangled and agonized sob whined out, and he wasn't quite certain, but there seemed to be another underlying, desperately suffering voice supporting Noct's. This, of course, tolled the warning bells in the blond's head; he had to convince himself that something was terribly wrong with this, but overshadowing his familiarity with the sight of his friend was proving to be problematic. His logical side being restrained and snuffed out by his emotional and irrational side; the side that needed, that persuaded him that walking away wasn't an option. "Hey," he reached a hand forward once again, aimed at the other's quaking shoulder, "We should," he shivered, tongue swiping over suddenly dry lips, "get back to the others."

He froze, fingers brushing over waxy clothing, pressing into the oddly soft material. They curled slowly, tips digging further in, scraping against 'fabric' as an oily substance oozed under his nails. Breath catching in his chest bitingly, he convinced his limbs to react, gradually pulling his hand away from the other as strings of black still connected the two of them. He brought his fingers to float in front of his fluctuating vision; mouth unhinged subtlety when he looked over the dark matter coating them. In a moment of burning curiosity, he lifted it to his nose and inhaled, the stinging aroma of paint filled his nostrils. "Wha-" his voice was squeezed out, struggling to make sound as it contorted to break free of the confines of his throat.

His sight blurred in and out of focus, his hand becoming a warped semblance of what it was and breathing transformed into heaves, gulps as oxygen was getting scarce. Blinking away the obscurity, he uncertainly and slowly lowered his hand, hesitantly, the fear of what he might see past it berating him. All it took was a glimpse, a fleeting snippet for him to take a few fleeing steps back; misplaced and uncoordinated in their placement, he gasped, feeling himself descend backwards as he tripped over his own feet. Prompto's stare stuck on the other, who was now twisted inhumanly, facing him and arm outstretched towards him. "Bitte..." he... no, it spluttered, more black paint cascading down its chin as it used its other hand to drag itself closer.

Prompto used his own limbs to pull himself backwards, his flight or fight instincts finally kicking in and choosing on the former. His emotions thoughts were now a jumbled fray of internal wars, battling with one another to try and make sense of this situation. But, there was no rationalizing this, was no reason to what was happening. No explanation. No anything, it just was. It was something that shouldn't be and he was at a loss for how to process it. He scuffled back a few more inches, retreating seemingly becoming more difficult with each pull, yet the gap between the two of them was diminishing rapidly; the speed and ferocity of the other rising exponentially. "W-What do you want?" he questioned, stuttering, tone sharp with a heightened pitch.

Nothing but more slavering cries as the goo kept streaming, leaving a twilight river in its path, it flowed across the floor, accumulating around its clawing hand and quivering knees. For a moment, it faltered, hand slipping out from under itself, more of the substance splattering over onto Prompto's face from the slight mishap. A strangled and agonized wail ripped from its vocal chords, "Warum... warum, warum, warum!" it repeated, struggling to right itself once more, "Ich will nach Hause gehen!" Its head was thrust back, a shrill and miserable shriek penetrating the air; the blond was compelled to clamp his hands over his ears in order to save his eardrums from combusting. His eyes unwittingly shut themselves against the sound, and his own lamenting wail joined the other's wretched one, his head teetering on the edge of exploding. Heated tears harassed the corners of his eyes, ultimately being forced out when they tightened further.

"Stop!" his outburst rang out when he couldn't handle the sound any longer. He hadn't yet realized he had taken on the fetal position, head tucked between his hands as he curled in on himself; erratic and prominent tremors racked his condensed form, supposedly sealing his fate. His dream made a reappearance, the feeling of himself being enveloped in fear and demise made a solid comeback. He could feel himself being covered by something, could feel the prodding touch of a hand whisping over his arm, over his back and neck in succession.

'No, no, no,' the thought frighteningly stuttered in his mind, 'Why is this happening?' A whimper, no louder than his relentlessly thrumming heart, leaked out.

"Prom?"

He didn't look, didn't react to the voice. He couldn't, or his body wouldn't allow him to.

"Prompto." They called louder, closer, footsteps followed after it, echoing off the quiet walls.

'Wait,' he thought, slowly prying his hands from his ears; it was silent, only the rushing of his blood ringing in his ears and the approaching steps as they drew closer. The pulsing gradually ebbed away, and he risked cracking an eye open, image before him foggy for a couple seconds until it finally cleared enough for him to make things out. "Hey, Prom?" They repeated his name, the voice sounded slightly gruff from overuse; it had an edge of grief about it, almost forced out. His gaze immediately darted to where whatever that thing was... and there was nothing. No distorted Noctis, no pools of darkened paint... nothing. Prompto dared to sit up now, cautiously so, eyes widened in lingering panic.

A light touch on his shoulder, and his hardwired need for survival kicked up again, the room spun with his abrupt turn. Already, he was backing away, never focusing on who it was until his back bumped into something, said thing wobbled with the offense. With nowhere else to go, his eyes at last settled on the newcomer, "Noct?" he asked, voice tight and unbalanced.

"Yeah?" his eyes scanned around in confusion, "Why are you down here?" he gestured his hand around.

The blond swallowed thickly, muscles tense in preparation to make a run for it if necessary, "Came here... looking for you," he bit his lip, attempting to prevent the quivering.

The prince's eyes narrowed at this, quickly looking over the other; he looked absolutely terrified, even from where he stood he could see the trembles shaking him. His chest heaved with quick and panted breaths, eyes warily locking on and assessing his every move. "Prom, what the hell are you talking about?"

His gaze shiftily glanced around and fixed back onto Noctis, "I, um, I heard you," he lowered his head for a short moment, looking back towards the far corner, "Or, I thought I did." He swiveled his attention back onto his friend at his slight step forward, and caused him to freeze where he was. "I must sound," he chuckled nervously, "Must sound crazy, huh?" Silence stretched between the two of them, neither moving for their own separate reasons; then the reason he even came out here to begin with dawned on him, "How you holdin' up? You know since... you know..."

At that, Noctis saw his eyes soften, his shoulders slumped minutely as he drew his knees up to his chest. He let out a drawn out sigh himself, "I dunno," he admitted, risking closing the space between them as he talked, "I-I don't even know if I believe it if I'm being honest," his voice cracked mid-way through as he blinked a couple times to rid of eyes of their sting. "How am I supposed to feel?" he asked rhetorically, finally making his way next to the other, who still had his gaze attached warily, "I want to go back; I need to go back, but dammit! I can't. With the... down-" he choked back a sob, slamming a fist against the canvas, tearing it with the released frustration. The blond flinched at the intrusive outburst, relaxing back almost as quickly.

Prompto reached up to rub at his left eye, a small and annoying tingle prickling at it painfully.

The raven-haired let his hand slide away, letting out a calming sigh, "But, with the downfall of..." the words faded out, lost between his head and tongue, "there won't be any ways of transportation between here and there."

"Oh," Prompto replied; he was terrible in these situations, though he chose to blame it on his currently scrambled thoughts and feelings, "I think we should head back to the hotel," he whispered, wanting nothing more than to get out of this room and away from the damned painting. "I'm sure the other two must be worried about you by now," his voice had an air of monotony to it.

The other made no move, keeping his eyes forward and stared blankly. "I guess," he finally answered after another few seconds, "But first, I have a question," he turned his head and cast his eyes down at Prompto who looked at him expectantly, waiting for the words that were about to come. "When I was walking by, I heard... you screaming," he watched the way the blond tensed back up, gaze going from soft and thoughtful to hard and shelled, "What happened?"

The other fidgeted in his spot, eyes frantically darting as a telltale sign he was trying to piece together his thoughts and formulate a proper excuse. A couple times, his mouth unhinged in a silent attempt at something, but soon he settled on the first thing that came to mind, "Letting out some... bottled up frustration?" he lied; he couldn't tell Noctis what he saw, who would believe that? Hell, he barely believed it as it were, despite how tangible it was. His eyes inattentively drifted back over again, wanting to be completely certain the coast was still clear. He looked back to Noctis, his obvious incredulity written all over his face in bold and underlined print.

"Sure," he deadpanned, finally turning away from the painting, as ready as he was going to be in returning. Keeping his eyes down on the blond, he extended a hand, nodding towards it and leaving it there until it was grabbed. With a small noise, he hefted Prompto up, not at all missing the way he continued to watch him with an observant and untrusting glare. He dismissed it for now, he clearly didn't want to tell the truth which alone was rather odd, but surely he had his reasons. "Let's hurry back, I don't think this weather will be letting up any time soon."

The blond nodded, keeping close, yet still putting some space between the two of them as they walked; he tossed one last glance back at that mocking canvas as they ascended the stairs, eyes locking with theirs, scanning over the light rip across one of them, until they were out of view. He wrapped his arms around himself when the hand hit him, shielding himself from the stabbing droplets of water that pelted the both of them upon reaching open air.

For a time, they were walking in silence, only the barrage of rain creating a backdrop of white noise to keep them from going insane. There were minimal passers-by, and they assumed them to have taken refuge in any sheltered area until this storm passed over; though, there were still a few brave souls who carried about their day as normal, brushing off the cumbersome downpour as if it were nothing more than a light breeze. Prompto, more than once, looked over to Noctis' expression, the voidness it seemed to withhold stabbing a knife in his gut, and the longer he would look at it, the more that blade would twist. "You wanna," he cleared his throat, raising his voice when he realized it was being drowned out, "You wanna talk about it?"

"No, not really," he spoke at his normal volume, words almost getting lost in the fray 'plips'. He held his head straight, allowing the streams of moisture to roll down his face, and Prompto couldn't help but wonder just how many of those trails were caused by the rain.  
______________________________  
Specs clung to the window for only a fraction of a second before the weight would become too much and drag the droplet down, leaving behind smaller specs that would quickly be carried down by larger ones. Close to an hour of this played out before him, yet he still held a watchful gaze on them. Ignis leaned forward, intertwining his fingers together as he leaned his chin against them, a soft and burdened sigh breathed out. Watching another drop race down the length of the glass, his head dropped with it, lowering and burying itself in his hands; his fingers gnawed at his hairline, skimming across it and slowly traveled deeper until eventually running through his hair. Loose strands rebelled, falling back to land against his forehead. Swiping a slender hand back over them, pushing them back into place, he leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall back as well until the ceiling became his new distraction.

He could feel Gladio somewhere behind him, but the man hadn't expressed a single syllable for some time now; his pacing and occasional shuddering breath were the only indications that he was still there, wondering aimlessly back and forth. The rare stop here and there in order to huff out sourly and cross his arms impatiently. Another concerned huff and the creak of a mattress as he finally seated himself, trying to appease his flaring nerves; the shield mirrored Ignis' previous actions in running a numb hand through his hair. Only difference being, he fell back afterwards, staring absentmindedly upwards and zoning in on the ensemble of floods as they beat down on the roof and windows.

"Think we should try calling him again?" he asked after a moment, desperate to break this unwieldy quiet, "If we pester him enough, he has to answer eventually, right?"

The adviser turned his head, eyes slinking down to meet amber, "I don't believe that's how that works." He gripped the back of his chair and pushed himself up, rotating his gaze back towards the window and stepped closer to it; he walked close enough to feel the coolness radiating off the surface. "Like I said, we have to give him time, he'll come back on his own terms. Trust me, it's better to just leave him be for now," he stared back at his own reflection as it warped and altered his graceful features.

"You're too soft on him; this isn't the time to be running off," he spoke, sitting up. His words said one thing, but his tone had an undercurrent of understanding and... sympathy. The kid did just lose so much, and of course he knew how detrimental that could be to someone his age, but at the same time, he needed to be able to pull himself together, despite whatever cards he was dealt. For the sake of his home, if not for himself.

The brunette's hand clenched at his side, "You believe I don't know that, Gladio?" he could feel his pulse pick up by a few notches, "I am perfectly aware of what needs to be done, as well as the severity of the circumstances. But, we mustn't dismiss the turmoil one goes through upon losing everything. How much could he possibly do when his emotions, his world, has just been jaggedly sawed to pieces?" His face felt slightly heated by the time he was finished with his stress-induced and short-lived rant, both from his pent-up anger and his festering shame at snapping like he had.

"I know exactly what he's feeling, but as the prin-" his face faltered before he lowered his voice for the single word, "king... of Lucis, he has a duty and an appearance to uphold."

"And there will be a time for that, but now is not that mome-" His head swiveled around at the sound of the door creaking open; the choir of the storm increased in volume as the other two stepped through the threshold, cascades of water dripping off them. "Gladio, go fetch a couple of towels," his voice softened at the sight of them, chest cramping when he landed on Noctis' downcast presence. "I suggest the two of you change out of those clothes before you catch a cold."

Prompto was way ahead of him, eager to peel his clinging vest away and let it drop to the floor with a 'squelsh'. A quick glare from Ignis, he leaned over to scoop the garment up, "In the bathroom, right," he laughed lightly, draping it over his shoulder and heading over. He glanced over to Noctis in his retreat, "You coming?"

"Nah," he whispered, eyes glued to the floor, "I'll wait until you're done."

"Alright," the blond replied, giving the other a small and diffident wave as his shoes squished cringily along the floor. Ignis felt his eye twitch with each step, fighting the urge to say something. "Oh, forgot my bag," he snapped his fingers together and turned to start heading in the opposite direction.

The brunette was quick to react, "I'll get that for you, just please, try not to track water everywhere if you can help it." He laced his arm through the handles and lifted it with ease and elegance, handing it over to the perpetually dripping gunslinger who nodded his thanks and ducked through the door. Once through, he discarded his soggy vest over the edge of the tub, the rest of his clothes following suit. As he bent forward to dig out some dry clothing, he wavered, a dull ache striking across his shoulders; they felt heavy, stiff in the way they disagreed with his movement. Reaching back, he tried to massage the soreness away, which only helped to alleviate it slightly. With a sigh of discontentment, he rolled them back and straightened back up, fresh clothes in hand.

A white object shot through the partially ajar door, earning a pathetic yelp and jolt form the blond at the unwelcomed and abrupt entry of a new, spotless towel. "Oh, thank you," he muttered, accepting it gratefully.

Gladio grunted his response, slinging the second towel over his shoulder as he continued towards the second sodden mutt. "About time you decided to wander back," he needlessly snipped, tossing the cloth over to the other, who in turn snatched it out of the air before it had the chance to blanket his face. "Does this mean you're ready to actually talk this over now? Maybe discuss what you plan on doing from here?" he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms with a set stare on the king.

"No," Noctis answered simply, giving no explanation or reason.

A scowl slipped onto the shield's face at that, "What, you plan on sulking all day? I hate to break it to ya, but you being who you are, you don't get the luxury of taking this at your own pac-"

"I know that!" he snapped back, teeth grit together, "I know that, Gladio, alright?" he stripped off his own jacket clumsily, struggling with getting it unclung to his skin in his agitated state. "Just, get off my back for one day, please," his tone dissipated as he held his jacket over the sink, twisting it to expel a majority of the water infesting it.

The larger scanned over him again, taking in the slumped shoulders, the lethargic movements, the wilted head, and finally, his gaze made their way to his eyes; he found them red-rimmed and soulless in a sense. "Yeah, sure," he breathed out wearily, "Take your time." He pushed himself away from the counter, leaving Noctis to grieve in peace for a bit, or until he was emotionally stable enough to hold a proper and civil conversation without losing his composure. "How about I make some coffee? I'm sure we could all go for something hot right now," he lifted the pot and gestured it towards Ignis, who nodded his approval on the proposal.

"Go ahead and make a full pot," he added, knowing he would probably down half of that himself with the way his nerves were acting up. He stepped over to the bathroom just as Prompto was walking out, "Are you done with your towel?" he asked, trying to peek around the blond.

He glanced back, "Yeah, it's hung on the rail." As the adviser brushed by him, he flinched at the slight touch, chills prickling at his exposed skin with the contact. 'Get over it,' he told himself, 'Just forget about that; there's more important things to be worried about than some weird hallucinations.' He shook his head lightly, rattling his brain in order to cast those memories and concerns away, and hopefully for long enough to deal with the shit they've just been dropped with. But, how the hell was he supposed to forget about that; how does one dismiss seeing your best friend bleed black, pleading to you and literally dragging themselves towards you? He could barely face the man without feeling a shudder run through him.

And, to be honest, it tore at him; it ripped his conscience to shreds at the knowledge that when Noctis needed their support the most, he could hardly bear to look him in the eye. Not only that, but he couldn't very well give him a valid reason for the apathetic behavior he'd been having towards him, at least not a believable one. He stopped when he reached the bed, turning his attention over to the raven-haired as he leaned over the sink, wringing out his jacket which had long since stopped producing water, and bit his lip. 'Maybe later,' he thought, falling forward and sank into the soft and welcoming sheets, 'Give both of us a chance to calm down.'

Ignis dropped the dampened cloth on the floor, and using his foot, began to mop up the water. Sounds of brewing coffee and sloshing swabbing soon managed to muffle the dreary orchestra of nature, putting them at ease for a while. With his leg moving on autopilot, he gazed back over to Noctis, "Perhaps you should change now; I'm sure that's wrung out enough for the time being," he spoke lowly, placing a hand on the other's upper arm in a friendly and compassionate manner, "Coffee should be done by the time you're out, if you would like a cup, of course."

Noctis nodded, a scarcely noticed bob as he dropped the garment into the sink and leaned forward to gaze down at it momentarily. Breathing heavily through his nose, he worked up the motivation to carry out the suggested task, and unlike Prompto, remembered to take his bag with him. The other watched on thoughtfully, staring off at his back until that contact was severed by the door and he got back to his cleaning. He ignored the few swears and 'bangs' he heard sound off from that direction; as long as he didn't break anything, it would be fine.

The shield, however, listened to each punch, and every word spoken out of anguish-sustained anger. His own hands clenched at each single strike, and teeth clamped at every heated expression. He turned on the spot and sat himself in his earlier perch, taking no heed to the fact that Prompto was right next to it and disturbed with the motion. As he realized the presence there, he looked over, catching sight of the even rises and falls of his back and the serene and emotionless face. Damn, he fell asleep fast. Zipping his focus back over to the bathroom when another accentuated swear sounded, he mirrored Ignis' earlier position, elbows on knees and head in hands and remained that way until they eventually died down into relative silence once again.  
______________________________  
He opened his eyes, sight portraying nothing but an endless void, senseless and boundless in every direction he turned his gaze. "Hello?" Prompto called out, only getting his own multiplied echo as a reply, bouncing around off seemingly nothing. On the third repeat of his voice, he let his stare fall down, fear now hitting full force as again, there was nothing; there was no solid terrain beneath his feet.

"Prompto?" a disembodied and ambiguous inquiry cried out to him, "Prompto!" another one yelled, panicked and helpless; pleading underlined it. "Prompto?" a disembodied and ambiguous inquiry cried out to him, "Prompto!" another one yelled, panicked and helpless; pleading underlined it. And a third, coming across as harsh and resentment; three separate and highly ranging voices calling out for him, over and over as they gradually became louder and closer. As the questioning voice seemed to shout just next to his ear, he spun on his heel, coming to face nothing.

"W-who's there?" he stammered, taking a retreating step back. A wail answered back, just as piercing and just as desperate as the one he had endured earlier. Only difference being this one came from all around, meeting at the point of which he was standing. "Please," he begged, "Just tell me what you want," he dropped to his knees, barely aware of how he sunk subtly into the ground; tendrils of oily black climbed up them, tightening and grounding him in place.

"Prompto!" The frenzied one beckoned again, shrill and unbearable in tone. He could feel the substance soaking into his clothing now, making contact with his skin as it continued to consume him; the voices remained screaming, articulation becoming muddied and meshing together into disjointed noises.

He couldn't take it anymore, they were boring into his skull, managing to penetrate his hands shielding his ears. "Why?" he asked again, his own words waning from his overwhelming discomfort. Everything was blurring rapidly, swirling and mixing together into one cumulative bundle of agony. "Just tell me," he repeated, pulling his head down to rest on his knees, forehead pressing into the blackness that was painstakingly devouring him. "Tell me and I can help..."  
______________________________  
Prompto jerked awake, panting heavily and greedily as beads of sweat rolled down every inch of his body; small tremors lingered throughout him, fear still pumping through his veins. He brought his hands in front of his face, staring at where he knew them to be, but unseeing from the lack of light. Taking a few calming deep breaths, he leaned back down, lying on his back as he waited for the rest of the terror to flee him. 'Of course,' he thought to himself, 'a dream, that's all it is.' He took one more heavy inhale, holding this one for a few seconds before blowing it back out slowly.

Once he had settled enough, heart beating normal, and brain functioning normally, he realized the absence of the weight next to him. And, reaching over, that suspicion was confirmed; Noctis wasn't there, his spot empty and cool, indicating that he had been gone for a while now. "Noct?" he asked quietly, his previous expectations returning to him as panic began to rise with the burning bile that joined it. But, his festering skepticism was pacified at the sight of light filtering under the bathroom door. He chastised himself, getting worked up over nothing again. Sighing, he relaxed, letting the tension drain from his continuously aching shoulders, again rolling them back and careening his neck to the side.

He felt exhausted, but after the imagery he was just faced with, he was afraid he wouldn't be graced with more sleep for a while now. Lying there, he let the near silence wrap around him, and he just realized, the rain had stopped; only a few drips from loitering rainwater fell from the edges of roofs. And then, there was one other sound, a light sniffing sound, and his attention was drawn back to the bathroom door. Was that Noct? Crying?

'Of course that's him,' he shook his head, 'Who else would it be?' He turned back to stare at the ceiling, the sounds of his friend's suffering the only thing he could hear now. And, he hated to admit it, but he would have honestly chosen to return to that godforsaken hell of a nightmare than have to listen to someone he cared about hurt alone like the way Noctis was choosing to do. He felt the edges of his own eyes sting, threatening to mimic that of the king, trying to share the same anguish he had thrust upon him. And they did, warm tears leaked out, quiet in their departure, but deafening in their reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while writing this one, I came to the realization, that I never have Ignis and Gladio really interact with each other very often. O-O  
> Lol, and I promise this is still a possession story, just don't wanna brush off any of the other stuff.


	5. Night 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting and istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> This chapter is a bit on the shorter side since I just got back a few days ago and am trying to get back into the flow of things. C: Pace should pick back up soon though.

Noctis simply sat there, perched on the edge of the tub as he stared blankly down at the tiles; his eyes followed along the subtle patterns that were accentuated from the soft lights, small and elegant floral decorations traveled along the edges of each one. The leaves branching off slowly became obscured, lost in the blur of fresh and warm tears as they eventually forced their way up, ignoring his internal objection to them. He swiped the back of his hand across them, trying to clean the slate of the unwanted moisture, but they were quickly replaced, much to his dismay. Frustrated, he clamped them shut and turned his head to the side, biting his lip to stifle any indicating sounds from seeping out.

Everything just felt so... surreal, and he wasn't sure what emotion was the prevailing one, they were all being juggled around, every one having a turn to be at the top. Despair, rage, bewilderment, and at times, betrayal. Despair at knowing that everything he knew was gone, altered forever and never to be the same again. Loved ones were... gone, and others that he knew his whole life would never be seen or heard from again. Anger about the fact that they were so easily stomped on by the Empire, as if they were small fry, nothing but an insignificant nuisance under their boot. He was confused, mainly because he thought he was aware of what was going on, what was supposed to happen, but that was all obviously a facade, nothing but a ploy, a distraction to make things all the easier for the enemy and to play them like fools. And last was the betrayal. It wasn't from the Empire that this one was derived from, but from his own former father; Noctis knew, he knew that the king had to have some sort of suspicion as to what was going on, that something wasn't right about this whole arrangement. And yet, he had the nerve, the audacity, to see him off as if nothing was off and everything was alright. Not even so much as a warning or a hint, only a small goodbye as he stood there acting like they would see each other again.

And now, now it was too late to say anything, the chance for a proper farewell passed; and, now he was left alone to deal with the fallout of the situation. Left to ponder the what-ifs and the possible solutions that could have prevented this whole catastrophe. But, in the end, he worried that there was no right way to have handled this affair. That didn't prohibit him from attempting to mentally figure it all out though, because dammit, there had to have been at least one thing that could have been done.

His fists clenched unconsciously in his lap, fingers gripping the fabric of his pants tightly until his knuckles faded to white. Remembering the presence of the others only a few yards away, he swiftly got to his feet and took the few steps over to the sink. He turned the faucet, ultimately drowning out any small or, to him, embarrassing sounds that may have been produced. After already having to find the energy to go that short distance, he no longer felt as though he had enough energy to return to his original spot, so he remained there, leaning forward so as not to see his own face in the mirror. He couldn't, he knew what he would see would be downright disgraceful, and something that didn't at all reflect who he should be. Instead, all he would witness is a prince reduced to crumbling shambles.

It may have taken him much longer than he had anticipated, but eventually he was able to pull himself together enough not to disturb the others, and with a small prayer that he was correct with that assumption, he turned the faucet off and took one last steadying breath before exiting the bathroom. Easing the door closed, avoiding any squeaks or complaints that may have sounded out otherwise, he glanced over to the clock, blaring red letters staring back at him. Two fifty-nine a.m.. He yawned quietly, not realizing how long he had actually been in there; the numbers almost slapping him in the face as exhaustion washed over him. Noctis practically dragged his feet, taking extra care not to stumble or bump into anything into the seemingly long and tedious journey back over to his bed.

With a heavy sigh and a quick clear of his throat, he pulled the cover over himself, pulling it close to his chest in an instinctual attempt at a sense of security and comfort. He wasn't facing the outside long before he felt the urge to turn in the opposite direction, switching to his other side in order to face towards his friend; as he did so, his eyes blinked a few times as they caught sight of something. It wasn't anything startling per se, mainly just unexpected, him assuming the other to be asleep.

"You're still awake?" he asked, voice barely above the whisper, not wanting to bother the other two who were still lightly snoring behind him.

The blond didn't respond, his gaze merely remained trained on the other's, staring back emptily and non-moving. At this, Noctis propped himself up on one elbow, flicking his eyes away for a moment before drifting back over. "Hey," he called a little louder, swallowing against his small ounce of concern at the lack of reaction he was receiving. "Prompto, come on, you're freaking me out a little here," he half laughed, his nerves getting the better of him.

Still, Prompto stayed looking forward, never so much as blinking, but his breathing did gradually change patterns, quickening in pace, and becoming slightly shallow, almost to the point of hyperventilating. Light mutters soon eased out, incomprehensible, but definitely there, being spoken softly under his breath.

No longer able to contain his growing worry-encased curiosity, he carefully shook the other's shoulder, calling his name again, even louder this time, almost forgetting about the others at this point. At this gesture, Prompto finally looked over, eyes snapping to Noctis', again locking with his own. But, at least the repetitive mumbles had ceased and his breaths evened out once more, falling back into a normal rhythm. And, even in the dark, he could see the lucidity slowly return back to his vacant gaze, realization eventually taking them back over.

"Hmm?" he asked groggily, swiping a hand across his eyes and pulling it away sharply at the slight moisture he felt there. Crying again? He blinked rapidly a few times, causing a few tears to spill over. "What is it?" he asked, voice clouded with confusion and sluggishness.

The raven-haired mirrored the same bewilderment. "W-were you asleep?" he asked, now considering the possibility that perhaps he was just sleeping with his eyes open. It wasn't exactly unheard of; he's never seen Prompto to it before, but maybe it was the first time.

The gunner stretched his neck to the side, hand wandering up to his shoulder to try and rub some of the settling soreness from the muscle. "Yeah," he nodded, wincing when he turned his head too quickly, eliciting a small pain to travel through his neck. He glanced over at the clock, "Dude it's three in the morning, why are you even still awake?" Prompto lied his head back down, wrapping his arms around his pillow as he hugged it closer to him. As his face mad contact with the material, he immediately pulled it back away and flipped it, deciding it was in his best interest to use the side not contaminated with drool.

Noctis licked his lips at the question with a swift look over to the bathroom, "Just couldn't sleep," he answered vaguely, but there was no need to delve further than that, his tone told all there was to know. "Needed a bit of space, but I think I'm good now."

"You sure?" the blond asked, picking up on the trace amounts of clinging heartache that attached themselves to his voice. "I mean, I'm awake now, if... you know... if you wanna talk about anything, or anything," he still had one eye cracked open, peeking over the edge of his pillow, "All you gotta do is say the word, and I'm here."

Words lost on him, the ability to speak suddenly snatched away, he only nodded, bowing his head and staring down at the sheets as he took another moment of silence to himself. "Thanks," he finally mustered the will to voice his appreciation, "I'll keep that in mind, but for now, I think I just want to go to sleep." Without saying anything else, he turned back around, turning his back on Prompto and lowered himself against his own pillow, relishing in the coolness of it. Behind him, he could feel as the other also switched positions, getting ready to get back to sleep. Soon enough, his steady breathing joined that of the other two, everyone now asleep again aside from himself as he was once more left alone to his prying and berating thoughts.  
___________________________________  
Before opening his eyes, he could already feel the effects from his lack of any real sleep he got that night, yet his body was showing no signs of allowing him to slip back into slumber. Noctis lied there, all the memories from the previous day still fresh in his mind, and honestly, he didn't feel like moving; the idea of staying right where he was all day really felt like it was the ideal option in his head, but he was aware it wasn't a realistic choice. No way any of the others would allow that, especially not Gladio anyway. So, with a reluctant huff, he pushed himself up and ignored the few tufts of hair that fell into his face. He glanced over, finding Prompto still in the same position he remembered, curled up on his side with his pillow hugged close to his body, a bit of drool dried on the side of his face.

A small scrunch of his nose and he looked across to the other bed, which was empty, both residents having left it at some point. It wasn't until that insignificant realization that his nose picked up on the aromas wafting in from the kitchen area, the sounds of various clings and pops joining the theatrical play of cooking. The more than welcomed smells and sounds served to remind him how hungry he actually was, which was understandable considering he was fairly certain none of them had eaten the previous day.

"How'd ya sleep?" He spun his head around, landing on Gladio who was seated in the corner, a cup of coffee in hand and an open book in his lap, "You were up pretty late after all, so I imagine it wasn't exactly a pleasant night."

"I slept well enough," Noctis pushed his cover back and swung his legs over the side, stretching them with the new freedom they now had. The shield hummed in reply, obviously not buying it for a second, but allowed the younger to be his usual stubborn self, whatever it took to keep his mood from worsening any more than it already was. "What time is it?"

The larger of the two cut his eyes over to the clock, sitting just behind the king, who seemed to have either forgotten where it was, or couldn't be bothered to look over his shoulder. "Almost nine," he grunted, using his free hand to lift his book back in front of his face, continuing where he had left off.

"Noct?" Ignis poked his head around the corner, "Breakfast is almost ready, would you mind waking Prompto up? I doubt he would wish to have cold eggs."

"Sure," he muttered, twisting around. "Hey," he called out to the blond, placing a hand on his upper arm and shook rather roughly, seeing as he could be pretty difficult to rouse at times, "Prom, wake up." His light snores went on, just as steady as before. So, in retaliation, he shoved harder, "Prompto," he called louder, quickly losing patience, his nerves and emotions still being on the frazzled side of things.

The reception was almost instantaneous, the gasp and unexpected jolt upwards caused Noctis to flinch away, narrowly avoiding taking a headbutt to the face. His once steady and relaxed breaths were now escalated into full-blown pants, panicked and fear-driven. Wild blue eyes darted around for a few seconds before ultimately landing on Noctis, and he could have sworn he saw relief flood them at the sight of him. Prompto lifted a shaky hand and ran his trembling fingers through dampened hair. "Morning," he forced out, feigning calmness; his voice had an edge of uneasiness and surprise to it.

"Uh, good morning," he replied, offering a small wave, "Everything, um, alright?" He slowly relaxed, seeing that the other had done the same, there was no longer the risk of him getting in the line of fire.

The blond nodded carefully. "Y-yeah," he stuttered, "You startled me a bit there." He leaned his head forward, bending it cautiously to get the new kinks out of it, a small wince being earned from the movement. "Do we happen to have any of those pain killers left?" he asked almost bashfully, "I think I might have pulled something or something at some point."

"We should have some," Gladio answered, closing his book and placing it to the side, "I'll go check." This at least gave him something to do after having read the same paragraph at least four times since he picked it back up. He reached the bag containing their medical supplies in a matter of a few long strides and started digging through it until the telltale rattle of the pills caught his ear. Wrapping his fingers around the bottle, he lifted it from the bag and scanned over it, making sure it was the correct stuff, and with a small grunt, tossed it onto the bed, "There ya go, remember, only two of those things."

Prompto gave a quick thumbs-up, "Got it," he replied, tossing his own side of the cover back in order to get a glass of water; the small action was enough to make his shoulder tense slightly and another wince graced his form along with it.

"Noct," Ignis called again, "Come get your plate."

He complied, pushing himself up and rounded the corner before sitting himself next to Prompto who was already sitting at the table, fresh glass of water in hand and a couple capsules in the other. As soon as he got both of them down, he lied his head down on his arms as if the effort of holding it up was too much. His own meal was placed on the table in front of him, completely untouched and practically ignored aside from having been pushed out of the way. "Keep that up and you're gonna get hair in your food," Noctis teased, elbowing the other lightly in the side.

In response, he moved his arms a little further outward in order to basically contain all strands within the small area. "There," he mumbled, burying his face closer in the crook of his arm as he waited for the medication to kick in. The achiness ran down his neck, across his shoulders and now seemed to have traveled halfway down his back. And the strange part was, nothing else hurt, just concentrated in that one area. Then again, he does remember being pretty tense after that certain... incident from the previous night. After a moment, he groaned audibly and sat back up, getting frustrated at how much time was passing for it to take effect. "So," he started, trying to strike up conversation, flashing a wary glance over to Noctis, "What are our plans from here?" He kept his eyes low, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

Both him and Ignis could feel the strain enter the air at the question, and clearly it was something that wasn't received well by the other. "How the hell should I know?" he practically snapped. But, his features softened as soon as his own voice bounced back to him, "I mean, I'm not sure what we should do at this point." His face dropped much in the same way Prompto's had, but for obviously different reasons, "Like I said, we can't exactly go back, and Luna isn't even here yet. In fact, I have no idea where she even is right no-" his breath hitched at that realization. That's right, he hadn't heard anything from her or about her since everything happened. "I have no idea," his fists tightened in his lap.

The blond leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest, "Oh yeah, there really hasn't been any mention of... that."

"Still, dwelling on it isn't going to solve anything, there is still a need to formulate some sort of course of action for when the time comes that we are able to execute it," the adviser spoke up, forever the voice of reason, driving their attention forward. "We are all just as concerned for her well-being, as well as everyone else, just as much as you are, I assure. But, we can't focus too much on that right now."

"He's right, ya know?" Gladio agreed from behind him, "There are more important matters to worry about right now." Noctis' teeth ground together subtly at that, of course, more important things than those he cared about. "You also have to remember, she's a tough one, perfectly capable of handling herself, so I don't think there is much to be concerned with when it comes to Luna."

There was a small noise of confirmation from the gunslinger. "Yeah dude, I'm pretty sure she puts all of us to shame," he gave a light punch of reassurance to the other's arm, "Just don't think about it too much." That was easier said than done, but he gave them all a soft smile regardless of what he was feeling. Despite not agreeing with any of it, he still appreciated the thoughts and the care they had. After all, they were all rather shook after a tragedy such as that, so he was grateful for the attempts.


	6. More To It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> So, this is the chapter before things really start to get into it; only downhill from here. Also, I wanna point out, that if at any moment, Prompto seems out of character, it is 100% intentional.

Minutes had passed and the medication had yet to take even a sliver of edge off the ache that continued to assault his neck and shoulders. But, like always, he ignored his discomfort for the time being, pushed aside his ailments for the sake of another who was in a much more dire need of support and affection. He glanced over to Noctis in between tentative bites, noticing how he had barely touched anything on his own plate, not that he didn't understand, but it didn't lessen the sting by any means. The other two carried themselves in almost identical fashion, both hardly picking at their food; the mood souring ever so slightly with each passing second. Sighing, he placed his fork across his plate and reached into his pocket, locating the bottle instantly. With a glance towards Gladio, he pulled it out and wasted no time in dumping a couple more tablets into his hand.

The shield cut his eyes over the table at the sound of the rattling and his brows furrowed at the familiar sight of the container, "Didn't you already take some?" he asked, voice laced with accusation, "I said only two." His eyes remained locked on, watching closely until he either put the pills down or continued with what he was doing.

"Well, I, yeah, I did, but..." he trailed off, left hand reaching back to rub at a particularly tense part of his neck, "They haven't exactly done anything." Ignoring the other's prying gaze, he tossed them into his mouth and quickly washed them down with a sip of his water, "Don't worry, I know how many I can have."

The larger man huffed out and turned back to his meal, "As long as you don't overdo it with those things, then do what you have to." The blond's own heart weighed down at the tone, the man sounded utterly defeated and he knew it had nothing to do with him, or the drugs, but it still hurt somewhat. Sheepishly, Prompto stuffed the bottle back into his pocket, holding his eyes on the table's surface as he did so; his hand absentmindedly hovered of the handle of his utensil, fingers glancing over the cool metal. He couldn't explain it but he felt tired, exhausted almost, but he knew full well that he got a decent amount of sleep, there wasn't any recollections of waking up a single time.

"That's it," Noctis declared, pushing his chair back with a resounding 'scrape'. "I can't take it anymore, I have to know." He pulled out his phone, fingers swiftly running over the keypad while he typed in the number he knew all too well, "I'll be back." No one said a word, not an inkling of an attempt to stop him; there were only watching eyes while he made his way out the door, phone already pressed firmly against his ear.

The gunner let out a steady and gradual breath, letting his hands slide and fall into his lap where they interlocked nervously. "He'll be alright, won't he?" he asked, mostly to himself, though answers were greatly welcomed. Instead, they stayed silent, both pondering the same question themselves. "Right?" he repeated, now basically begging for one of them to say something, anything really would be better than nothing. "Ignis?" he turned his head towards the brunette, towards the man that always knew the right answer to everything.

The adviser got to his feet, hand gracefully scooping up his coffee cup. "That, we'll just have to wait and see," he closed his eyes while he turned away to stroll towards the coffee pot and prepared himself another cup. "It's a difficult situation, so the answer is not yet a clear one, but I'm sure he will be fine." He presented the other with a warm, but obviously forced, sideways smile; its intended purpose being that of comfort, but the result showing nothing more than the man's own doubt and concern.

"Yeah," Prompto replied, trying his best to mirror the mask the other wore, "You're right, he'll be fine." He leaned back, bending over the back of his chair and gasping in both unexpected pain and relief as the movement stretched his taut muscles, helping him to relax them by a small amount. As he went to lean back forward, another gasp sounded out, this time it was one of surprise as he felt two heavy hands grasp each side. "What are you doing?" he asked, glancing back to find the shield towering over him.

The other replied by giving a firm squeeze, causing the younger to squirm slightly and whimper quietly under the grasp, "Just relax, this should help a bit." He gave a few more strong squeezes, tossing all gentleness out the window, "Damn, kid, what'd you do? No wonder you're sore, you're riddled with knots."

"I'd like to know myself," Prompto muttered between clenched teeth. "Came outta nowhere though." His voice tightened at the end as Gladio once more closed his grip around his aching muscles, "Hey, hey, hey, I'm fragile, ease it up there bro."

"This isn't a spa day," the larger growled, emphasizing his words with one more extra firm squeeze. Once the blond was finished wriggling under his hands, he patted lightly and friendly on the side of his arm, "A hot bath should help, try that tonight." He received a thumbs-up as his reply, the other hand already working to pacify his burning shoulders. Gladio glanced back at the door, getting the feeling that it may have been quite some time before the new king would return, if the look on his face and tone was anything to go by, "Actually, you might as well go ahead and do that, you have plenty of time after all."

Prompto nodded. "Yeah, I guess so," he shrugged, flinching as he stood up. The other kept his curious gaze on the younger's back while he turned, the rattling from the bottle sounding out with each step he took towards the bathroom. And he could feel his worry rise with the noise. It's not that he didn't trust him not to take too many of those things, but that sort of stuff was a slippery slope, especially for those vulnerable enough and innocent enough to not notice their own decline.

Folding his arms over his chest, he swiveled around to face Ignis. "Enough left for another cup?" he asked tilting his head in the direction of the coffee maker.

"Indeed, there is plenty," the other responded, stepping to the side to allow the other access. He took a tentative sip from his own glass, drinking from it as if on autopilot as the action was working from sheer muscle memory. "Take all you need."

The brute grunted in understanding, "So, you're just gonna let him run off again?" he asked, cocking his head towards the door, "I mean, I understand the whole space thing, but don't you think storming off twice since yesterday is a bit excessive?"

"As I've mentioned before, he needs space," he mumbled between sips, feeling almost like a broken record by now. The sounds of the bath running soon filtered from the bathroom, finally filling the silence with some much-needed background noise, "But, if he doesn't show any signs of emotional improvement, then yes, I will step in and say something about it."

Gladio opened his mouth to reply, but was awkwardly and effectively stumped by the abrupt crashing of the bathroom door swinging open; a dripping and uncovered Prompto skittering out and leaving a sodden trail behind him. "Prom- what the hell man?" he asked, slightly shocked, and more than a bit caught off guard by his sudden outburst. "Why are you running around he-?" he paused, really focusing in on the blond for the first time; his breathing was erratic, being taken in in quick and short pants. And his eyes, they held an essence of wild survival instinct, locked onto the bathroom door as he never noticed the shield talking to him. Or, if he did, he didn't show any signs of it. "Prom?" he asked, taking a step forward while also keeping a watchful eye in the direction he flew from, "Everything alright?"

Still, the younger stood there, arms wrapped protectively around his torso protectively, eyes darting frenziedly around, expecting something to come out after him any moment, but nothing ever did. "I-I... I thought..." he trailed off, gaze finally ripping away long enough to locate the source of the voice talking to him, "I thought I saw... something." He slumped onto the bed, not caring that he was absolutely soaking wet, saturating the spot where he sat. Placing his head into his hands, he glanced down, and upon seeing himself, turned an impressive shade of pink. "Oh, OH!" with a panicked trembling hand, he clutched the covers next to him and swiftly yanked them over to cover himself, "I'm sorry, I, uh, I kinda forgot to grab a towel." He bit his lip, overwhelmed with embarrassment now that he was aware of what this must have looked like to the others.

Choosing not to comment on the obvious, Ignis stepped over, curiosity being his main drive now, "Care to explain then?" he asked, showing no hints of annoyance, but rather concern for the other's odd behavior. One eyebrow remained arched as he kept a lookout for any strange movements or any off-putting body language Prompto put out as he talked.

He appeared to think on it for a moment, weighing his options until he eventually hefted a heavy breath out, "It, it was nothing. Just my imagination, I guess." The blond let out a shuddering breath, lifting his gaze to meet amber ones and then emerald ones, "I'm good now."

A gentle, yet firm hand landed on his still slick shoulder, preventing him from getting up, "Prompto, I know that's not the truth. I don't care how vivid your imagination is, it would not result in that strong of a reaction; what I saw was genuine terror, not some overreaction to an overactive mind."

A lump formed in the younger's throat and his breath hitched as they got caught on his unspoken words. But, those inquiring eyes demanded for a real answer, "I thought I saw someone... but it was only a glimpse, so I didn't get a good look." He cringed at the way that sounded; it sounded utterly insane and there was no way that would have sounded feasible to them. That, and given their current situation, made it sound like a menial predicament. "But there's nothing there, so it's fine now," he tried to assure the other, going to stand again, this time the hand was lifted. "Um, you guys mind, I dunno, turning away so I can get back in?" he sheepishly asked, gaze scanning down to the sheet covering him.

"We've already seen everything now, so why's it matter?" Gladio joked at the gunner's expense, but humored him by turning away anyway. He didn't see it, but he felt the small and playful smack to the back of his head which dragged a grin onto his features, "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Prompto took quick and soggy steps back towards his bath, hesitating momentarily at the threshold before finally crossing it. "You know, if it helps, you can leave the door open," the brute called after him, suppressing a chuckle.

"No thanks," the blond blurted back and less than gently swung the door shut, the sound it produced bouncing off the tiles around him in an eerie way. His feet refused to carry him from the spot to begin with, his entire body warning him about this room, screaming at him the dangers that awaited all around it, just waiting for him to let his guard down. Balling his fists up until his arms shook from the strain, he took one step forward, and stopped to assess the room, glancing to every corner. He felt paranoid, like a criminal up to no good as he scouted the perimeter, but it felt necessary. "Anyone here?" he asked near inaudibly as he focused on the corner he thought he previously saw what he did.

'No one,' he thought to himself, keeping his gaze glued to the spot as he stepped back over to the tub, dipping one foot in at a time, eyes never leaving the spot. "Ok, you got this," he mouthed, breathy exhales leaking out with each word, "Just don't think about it."

Once in, he carefully lowered himself back under the considerably warm water, doing so with a new sense of caution and ease, afraid that sudden movements or sounds would invite whatever it was he saw to come back, and that was something he really did not care for. As time passed, it was difficult to say whether the bath was helping or not, everything still ached, but then again, he wasn't exactly relaxed. That was something that didn't want to come to him easily recently, well, not since that 'encounter' anyway. Constantly on edge, and never trusting anything that went on around him was beginning to grate on his being. Forcing himself now, he shut his eyes and focused on nothing but the water enveloping him, covering him with the sensation of floating until he could persuade the stiffness to evacuate his muscles; and, for a time that seemed to have some sort of an effect.

However, the thoughts that huddled together in the back of his mind prohibited him from enjoying the moment for very long, their constant nagging keeping a solid lock on his enjoyment. He was getting nowhere with this, just with the simple motion of turning his neck, he could tell the bath was doing little to nothing to alleviate his pain; a small groan of irritation slipped out at the thought of nothing working, and maybe he did pull something back there. He was so high on adrenaline yesterday, anything could have happened without him realizing it. Sighing out with discontent, as well as distasteful acceptance, he lifted himself out of the tub, and this time, grabbed a towel on his way out.

"Done already?" Gladio asked, glancing in the blond's direction as he stepped over to his bag to retrieve some dry clothing, seeing as he had forgotten to grab those earlier as well.

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, wasn't really cutting it for me, so I didn't see the point in staying in there any longer," he shrugged, dragging his feet back into the other room to get dressed. Prompto cut his eyes over to the larger in time to see him flash somewhat of a sympathetic smile in his direction, which he replied to with a shrug, flinching with the action, "I'm sure it'll just go away on its own." The shield hummed, now beginning to grow slightly worried with this. He's had his fair share of aches and pains from the constant swings he made with his behemoth of a blade, but it was never anything either a couple pills or some hot water couldn't remedy.

Back inside, he gently shut the door this time, craning his neck to either side in another fruitless attempt at comfort and stepped over to the mirror in order to lean against the sink. His eyes slinked up to take in his disheveled appearance, dark circles marring the underside of his eyes, which in turn were crawling with reddened tendrils. "Gods, I look terrible," he mumbled under his breath, like he hadn't slept in days. He blinked a few times as he stared into his own blue orbs. The third blink, he kept them closed for a second longer, giving them a chance to rest for a bit before prying them back open.

A strangled gasp sounded out between slightly parted lips and the image before him had flashed so suddenly and it was so subtle, he was starting to question whether he really saw anything at all. But, he could have sworn his eyes had shifted color, fading off into a dull and shadowed hue of what they were. Maybe it was his imagination acting up again; stress was probably building up causing all these unexplainable things. It made sense to him, and it was the only reasoning he could come up with that didn't involve him going insane.

Leaning down, he turned the cold water on and cupped it in his hand, hesitating to splash it on his face. The rush that resulted from it helped to clear his mind a bit, rid it from these unsolicited speculations. "Come on man, pull yourself together," he chastised himself, running a hand through golden locks, shaking it to fling water droplets everywhere like a human sprinkler.

He plucked his clothes from the floor and swiftly threw them on, even standing there alone, he was getting the sensation of unpleasant exposure, the lack of clothes giving a feeling of vulnerability; like he was being watched. He couldn't quite explain it, but there was that perpetual tickling on the back of his neck, continuously trailing its hovering nails along his spine in a teasing manner that pleaded for his attention. Instinctively, he ran his own fingers over the spot, not really feeling anything, not that he expected to, aside from the noticeable tension across the spot.

With a thumb, he pressed down on the spot and almost cried out from the jolt it sent through him. Ok, so maybe that wasn't such a great idea, possibly something that should be avoided from now on. He waited until the throbs ebbed away to straighten himself back up and head back out to the others, the recollection that Noctis still wasn't back shoving its way back to the front of his concerns. He was both worried about his friend, and selfishly thankful for the distraction, however horrible that may have made him look.

"Any word from Noct?" he asked as soon as the door was open wide enough for the others to hear. "Has he been gone this whole time?"

Ignis shook his head pensively, mouth pressed into a solid line, coffee cup pressed between two rigid hands, tight with his own multiplying apprehension, "That would be correct," he muttered, "Either everything is fine and they're having a dandy time chatting away, or what I fear to be the case, everything is not alright and he needs even more time to deal with his findings." He took a long and drawn out sip from his cup, honestly considering adding a little something to the brew to loosen his form. But, in the end, he thought against it, deciding that a hazy and clouded mind would not be the best thing in these circumstances.

"Should we be worried about that?" Prompto questioned, taking a seat next to his previous spot, soaked through and sodden with moisture. He already had his phone out ready to dial the king's number in a heartbeat.

A slender hand reached forward to shove the device down. "Leave it be," Ignis flatly advised, "Like I told Gladio yesterday, he'll come back on his own, so it's best to leave him to himself for the time being." Prompto didn't protest, nor did he complain, but the look on his face gave way to his obvious disapproval, his eyes shining with his need and urgency to go to his friend. Though, looking into the other's gaze, he nodded, and placed his phone next to him.

"You're right," he uttered, leaning back and using his hands to support himself, "Guess I just don't like leaving him to deal with it alone." The blond sighed and fell backwards onto his back, "He shouldn't be by himself right now."

"And he's not," the brunette reassured, "He may be out there by himself right now, but he is by no means alone in this," he took a seat next to the gunslinger, on the opposite side where it was still dry, "So, when, not if, he's ready, we'll be here to comfort him and support him. But, before that happens, he needs to deal with his pain and emotions in a way that he can handle."

The younger sat motionless and mutely for a time, pondering the other's words, "I know, you're right," he finally replied. "I can't help it, but yeah, I guess that's how this has to work out." He rotated his head to face Gladio, seeing if he had any input, but his still and staring form told otherwise, "Just hope he doesn't get into trouble out there. I know how letting your feelings run a muck can cause some issues."

He swiveled back to face forward, face scrunching with the fire it sent through his neck, and without thinking, he reached for the bottle that sat on the side table and wasted not a second to shake one more into his hand. The kid gazed at it, debating whether this was the right way to handle this, but the next throb decided for him and he tilted his head back to toss the capsule in. "You've already taken four of those in the last few hours alone," Gladio's gruff voice lectured, hand gripping his wrist. Prompto jumped with the gesture, never realizing the man had moved from his spot. "I think you've had enough of those," he roughly snatched the bottle form his hand and pried the pill from the other, stuffing both into his own pockets.

The smaller shrunk shamefully under the man's towering body, avoiding eye contact, "I-I did?" he asked, feigning ignorance, knowing full well exactly how many he had and how close together they were taken. "I guess, I must have forgotten." Falling backwards, he stared up at the ceiling, eyes tracing over the subtle patterns created from the paint ridges, and he felt a small pang as he drifted off, a very minuscule yet assertive flash of... anger? But why? He had no reason to be, nothing happened that should elicit such a strong emotion. Yet, his teeth still clenched tightly and his hands still balled up into condensed fists as a quick swear was whispered under his breath.

"What was that?" Gladio asked, curiosity pure, and honestly not hearing what was spoken.

Prompto swallowed his rage, stifling it long enough to answer. "N-nothing," he stammered, rolling over to his side to face away so as to hide his expression from being seen; he was afraid his sour mood would still show through despite his efforts to smother the glowing embers of anger from existence. "Just thinking out loud," he quickly fabricated an excuse.

"Mmmhmm," the shield didn't buy it, whatever it was sounded a bit more aggressive than simply 'thinking out loud.' He glanced down to his pocket containing the drugs; maybe it would be best if he didn't have any more of those things, clearly they weren't the best thing for his mood. Switching his gaze from that to Ignis, he shook his head, and the other instantly picked up on the unspoken warning and gave a small nod.

As he lied there, marinating in his own bitter atmosphere, his mind was literally buzzing with various thoughts, all of them jumbling and mixing together into one incongruous and abstract mess; each thought fought and battled it out as they tried to take priority. Most were about his urge to go to Noct, some about his loitering unease on being in this city, but there were two that stuck out from the rest, two that honest to God frightened him to know end. One of them was begging and pleading with him to run away, to get out while he still had the chance; this irrational need to flee confusing him as the thought seemed to come out of nowhere. And the other, the other was the one that truly disturbed him. It screamed at him, demanded and commanded that he get away by any means necessary, even if it meant harming those around him, even if it meant taking this to the extreme and becoming a hazard to their well-being and the very lives.

These thoughts and voices weren't his own, they couldn't have been; he would never think that way, ever. They put off the vibe of hostility, a feeling that was so unlike him and so foreign to him, and they really felt like injected ideas, ideas that had been planted there to feed off his current uncertainties. "Stop," he muttered, eyes stinging with burning and fresh tears, "Please, just go away," he pleaded, curling up on his side. He flinched at the touch on his upper arm, "Leave me alone!" he all but shouted, flinging a hand at the contact, slapping it away.

The others exchanged an anxious glance at one another, neither knowing how to handle this, it came out of the blue. On a whim, Gladio pulled his phone out and quickly tapped out a short message and handed it over to Ignis who read it silently to himself, 'Did he take anything else other than those pills?'

The bespectacled man's eyes widened at the insinuated accusation; did he truly suspect of another substance being used? Shaking his head to clear it and get his bearings, he backspaced the message and typed out his own, 'Not that I am aware of, but if so, where do you suppose he would have gotten them from?' Then he remembered the moment he was alone and in search of Noctis the previous day; that was the only time he had really been alone and plenty of time for him to come across something of the sorts. 'Do you suggest we do a quick search once he's asleep?'

The larger quickly scanned over the message, and with a grim expression, nodded at the recommendation with a swift glance in Prompto's direction, fresh trails streamed down his now expressionless face. Something was clearly off with him, and it no longer became a question of whether it was just being shaken from recent events, there was obviously something much deeper disrupting him.


	7. Night 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting and istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> And now the fun finally begins. >:D

Noctis held his phone tightly in one hand, the conversation still bouncing around the interior of his skull, repeating the same last words over and over until they were no longer comprehensible. Fingers laced around the device and his thumb brushed over the screen, unconsciously moving in small circles over its smooth surface until he could feel his palms become slick from his frazzled nerves and scattered thoughts. He gazed up at the midday sky, scanning the few clouds that lazily sailed above, and with a heavy and somewhat contented sigh, pushed himself up from his crouched position. As he took a moment to soak in the rays, allowing them to assist and chasing away his lingering gloom, he slipped his phone into his pocket and folded his arms over his chest.

His ears pricked and itched with the sounds of the bustling crowds swarming the city, the numbers plainly and obviously increased from the previous days, most likely due to the news as citizens of Insomnia fled to seek refuge in neighboring areas. The mood and the atmosphere surrounding them was nothing other than that of solemn nature; sure, there was the occasional cheerful person here and there, but they were few and far between. He picked up on words here and there, words reeking of his home's downfall and his father's demise, and his fingers dug painfully into his arms at the sounds of them.

With a frustrated huff, he strode forward, feet carrying him with a brisk and hurrying speed towards their hotel. Besides, he needed to fill the others in on the news he received; he was sure they were dying to know the information just as much as he was, and it wasn't fair to them if he were to keep them waiting due to his own self-inflicted pity party. Each step pulled him closer to his temporary 'home', if one could even call it that, increasing his speed as he approached closer with every second that passed. Passing conversations whispered by him along with the fleeting breeze, ruffling his hair as well as his nerves and wavering patience.

He hadn't realized until the density of the swarms had thinned that he had broken into a near-sprint, his feet tossing up droplets of water as they trampled through yesterday's dreary evidence and ultimately soaking the edges of his pants. Despite his burning lungs and begging heart, he maintained this pace, kept pushing forward and only ceasing once he was facing their room where he stood and stared at the wood. Noctis' hand hovered a mere few inches from the handle, fingers twitching with the anticipation. Not from what he was about to tell them, nor from what he was expecting, but because this was the second time he had stormed out like he had.

But, after a deep and calming breath, he pushed the door open and eased his way through, steps falling lightly and silently as he crept in. "Guys," he greeted, stepping around the corner to face the others, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight before him. "Is something going on?" he questioned, his earlier news slipping off his tongue as fresh curiosities arose. "Prompto?" he stepped closer, between the other two who seemed to stare at him with a surprised expression. As he went to take another step forward, his wrist was suddenly clasped in a strong grip, and with a shocked gasp, he was gently yet firmly tugged off to the side; lead away until they were at safe whispering distance.

"Noct," Ignis began, seriousness dripping off his stern voice, "I'm about to ask you something extremely crucial and troubling, and I need you to answer one hundred percent honestly. Do you understand?"

The king grit his teeth subtly, the grip on his wrist tightening slightly, unbeknownst to the brunette. "Specs, what the hell is this about?" he asked bitterly, snatching his hand away with an offensive glint behind the twilight eyes.

The other took a deep breath, gaze fluttering over to the blond for a split second and snapping back onto Noctis, "It's about Prompto, something's, how should I put it... off about him." The younger man could practically witness the inner turmoil going on in Ignis' head as thoughts and concepts danced around. "I need to know, yesterday, did he seem off in any way, any way at all, it does not matter how minor it may have seemed. But, if there is anything that you noticed, then I desperately need to know."

"Ignis... what are you talking about? What's going on?" his eyes widened with unanswered fears and questionable ideas and speculations, "What's wrong?"

"Noct, keep your voice down," the adviser warned, glancing back over to make sure they still couldn't be heard. "Come with me," he once again grabbed onto his wrist, and even more firmly this time, lead him right back out the door, easing it shut behind him. "Like I said," he continued, once he was certain they couldn't be listened to. "His behavior is rather concerning, so I want to know if you noticed anything peculiar with him in the moments you two were alone."

At first, he shook his head, his still comprehending mind struggling to calm itself and think clearly. "I-I'm not sure," he stammered, eyes dropping to the pavement where they watched ripples form in the puddles from dripping roofs. He observed until his memories finally decided to cooperate with him, "Other than him seeming terrified, nothing." The tone was low and cautious, speaking slowly as he replayed that scene in his head, "He seemed like he was afraid of me a bit, but I assumed he was just shaken from... what happened, like we all are." He didn't mean to, but the last part was almost spit out toxically, as if the man had forgotten the tragedy that struck their home.

"Did you see him take anything, anything other than the pain medication we carry on us? Did you notice anything that looked as though it could have be–"

"Stop!" Noctis shoved the man back, a hand flat against his chest, effectively cutting him off mid-sentence. "Just stop," he lowered his volume, realizing he had shouted at his strategist. "Are you... are you honestly accusing him of drugs, Ignis?" His previous calm and collected tone had spiraled down into a snarl, a growl as the allegations sat sourly on his tongue. "This is Prompto we're talking about, he isn't some street addict!" he snapped, slamming the side of his fist against the door, a rattle sending tremors through its frame.

Ignis bit his own lip, he had expected him not to take too kindly to the suggestion or the questions, but he had not anticipated him reacting so lividly to it. "I understand it's not something you wish to hear, but you cannot deny his behavior has been far from normal."

"He's not a normal guy," Noctis swiftly defended, wincing at his own word choice. "What I mean is, he's just different, alright, he always has been weird and awkward. Everyone has their breaking points, so maybe this was his," he waved a hand in the air, gesturing to the world as a whole. "Maybe you should try seeing things from another point of view."

For an agonizing few seconds, they held uncomfortable and challenging eye contact, both of them refusing to back down from the silent stand-off. "This isn't the time to allow your loyalty to cloud your judgement, Your Highness," the bespectacled man breathed out. "Use your logical mind over your emotional one in this case."

Noctis straightened his back and continued to hold the other's gaze while he placed a hand on the door handle. "No, Ignis, I didn't see him take anything," he answered honestly and spitefully as he pushed the door open and re-entered their room, and let the door fall shut behind him, not caring if he was followed or not. Once again, he stopped when he was next to the bed again, the one in which the blond was curled up on his side, sky blues shining with moisture that refused to spill over, "Hey."

His stare slowly drifted over to the raven-haired, "Noctis," he flatly greeted, "When did you get back?" Carefully, he pushed himself up until he was sitting up, again a hand flew to his neck to rub the area. "Got any news on Luna?" Despite his forlorn appearance, his own cheerfulness shone through his words.

Right, Luna, the information he had was almost forgotten in that little interrogation back there. Before revealing anything, he took a seat next to the gunslinger, and after hearing Ignis' words, gave the man a once over, scanning over him quickly, and to him, everything seemed fine. Well, other than the reddened eyes and slightly paler complexion. "Well?" he asked, shifting subtly in eagerness for the state of the future queen.

"Oh, right," Noctis cleared his throat and tore his prying scrutiny away. "Good news is, she's alive, but it sounds like she has her hands full at the moment. As you'd expect, there's a lot of… a lot of hardship she has to take care of."

Prompto nodded slowly to himself, "Well, that's good though, right?"

"It would be, if it wasn't for the fact that she's still out there," Noctis kept his tone soft, attempting to keep his emotions in check, at least for the time being, "She's still over there with all that still going on." His teeth grit together the longer he talked about it, only fading away when he felt arms envelope around him from behind. And, normally, the gesture would have caused him to playfully shove the other away, to tease him for his unnatural ways comforting others through physical contact. But, this time it was different, this time he welcomed it and genuinely appreciated the personal level of condolences Prompto was providing in a way that only a friend could. The tension was drained from his form, causing him to instinctively lean into it, and relish in the reassuring embrace.

The blond said nothing as he shifted his weight over, draping his arms around Noctis and just hung on, even when he could feel the small and clear tremors shaking through him, he remained wrapped around him. Carefully, he leaned his head against the other's shoulder, placing his forehead flat against it. "She'll be fine," he said softly, though he knew that wasn't the main culprit of his friend's sorrow, but it sure didn't help any either, "She made it through the worst of it, so the rest will be a piece of cake." He could feel the small movement indicating a slow nod joined by a soft hum.

"I know," Noctis muttered. "I know she will, but I just can't shake this feeling that something is... wrong in a sense." He shivered at the chill that ran down his spine, the wisp of air that trailed down his neck. And, in natural and unexpected survival instincts, he jolted to his feet, the sheer unsettlement of the sensation convincing his body to move on its own. Spinning on the spot, he turned to face the blond, who still sat in the same position, only difference being that he let his arms fall back to his side.

"Everything alright?" he asked, staring blankly at him.

The other took in a few long and shaky breaths, watching the gunner expectantly, "Yeah-yeah, everything's fine." He touched the back of his neck where the hairs still stood on end, a loitering tingling residing beneath his fingertips. His eyes immediately were drawn back to the other's, those eyes which still shimmered with dampness. "I don't know what that was about," he admitted, slowly sitting back down, making sure to seat himself barely within arm's reach. In the back of his mind, in a part he tried to muffle and silence, he could see where Ignis was coming from now.

"Gladdy?" Prompto looked over to him, pleading radiating from his expression, "I probably already know the answer, but do we have anything else that might, you know, help?" He pointed to his back and shoulders as he asked, feeling slightly shameful after having been scolded. "I'm not talking about... you know, but maybe anything else."

The brute pondered for a moment, the bottle in his pocket seeming to increase in weight as those begging orbs pierced right through him, and his need to help in some way gripped painfully at his chest. "Other than heat and maybe some massaging, no, I don't think there's anything else to take the edge off." He lifted a hand and made a squeezing motion with it. "I'd be happy to oblige," he said with a sly grin on his face.

Prompto cocked his head to the side in a substituted shrug. "I'm willing to give that another shot," he sighed and flattened himself across the bed, arms outstretched above his head. "Just try not to be too rough, alright?" his eyes darted to the door as it opened and Ignis waltzed in, his own gaze looking from the blond to Noctis and a solemn look on his face. Without a word, he gracefully strolled around to situate himself in one of the chairs and crossed his legs while he leaned back into it comfortably. Turning his attention back to Gladio, he continued, "Whenever you're ready."

As the shield climbed up next to the younger, Noctis turned to meet the adviser's eyes, and made his way over, almost unintentionally drifting towards him. Quietly, he took the chair next to him and awkwardly twiddled his hands in his lap. "Hey," he began, somewhat shyly now, "About earlier, I-I didn't mean to, you know, come off that... harshly?" he settled on for lack of a better word.

"No need for apologies," he sighed tiredly. "It was to be expected. None of us want to believe that's the case, but we couldn't completely disregard it." He paused long enough to wait for the gunner's protesting whines against Gladio's forceful hands before he continued, "But, I don't want to jump to conclusions, so we'll keep a watchful eye and won't mention anything to him unless there is a clear and definite problem."

Noctis nodded at that, finding that option to be the best for everyone involved; the thought of Prompto even thinking they suspected something of that magnitude about him didn't sit well with him. He knew it would absolutely destroy him. And, after that one night on the roof of that motel, and hearing how the blond already thought about himself when compared to the rest of them, it wouldn't take much for him to consider less of himself. "Sounds good to me," he finally answered, "As long as no one says anything, I think it'll be good enough."

Gladio worked his thumbs into yet another knot embedded in the blond's back and clicked his tongue to himself as he again, eased it away with rough presses. His own brows knit together, swearing to himself that the muscles felt stiffer than they had not too long ago. That, and there were quite a few more knots than before as well. Definitely not normal at all. Flattening his hands out, he began to rub small circles along his shoulders, earning a few displeasurable groans from his charge, "Sorry, but can't be gentle for this to work."

"Yeah, I-ow! I know," he seethed through clamped teeth, body occasionally flinching away from the jolting touches. He had to fight against the urges to draw himself away from the throbs that accompanied each press. "So, Noct!" he called louder, sound slightly muffled due to his face being half buried in a pillow; his head was turned slightly to the side to try and compensate for this. "I almost forgot to ask, but is Luna coming here, a-aaafter she's done with whatever she's busy with?" he stuttered on his word with another wince.

The question caught him off-guard, something he wasn't entirely sure about himself. Originally she was supposed to come here, of course, but he didn't really think of asking her if that were still the plan. Given the events, he assumed there were other places that were more in need of her presence and skills. "I have no idea," he answered honestly, "I assume she would eventually, probably not anytime soon, but at some point, yeah."

"Soooo, this means I will still get the chance to meet her?" he asked, voice heightening slightly with fresh excitement; at least something seemed slightly up, maybe not the most enlightening revelation, but it was still something to look forward to in these hard times. Then the nerves struck, after all, what was he when compared to her? "Hopefully she won't think I'm too, you know. Too... weird?" His eyes wandered up to stare at the ceiling as he played out the possible scenario in his head, "Oh no, I'm gonna make a fool of myself, I just know it."

"Quite moving so much," Gladio warned. "This is easier for both of us if you just relax."

Prompto blinked a couple times, "Oh right, my bad," he dropped his head back flat against his pillow and willingly allowed some of the tension to drain away.

"It'll be fine," Noctis waved a hand, "I promise she's not gonna care."

"You have to remember, she did agree into marrying His Highness," Ignis tossed in teasingly, "Can't get much lower than that." The man next to him shot him a glare and a scowl, mouth slightly ajar in silent protest.

"I guess you have a point," the gunner agreed with a contented sigh, only to immediately gasp when thumbs brushed over a particularly sore spot. "Ok, ok, I think we're done with the spa treatment," he tried to roll over, only to get nowhere, stuck under the larger man's solid weight. "Gladdy," he waved a hand back, tapping it against his arm in an ushering way, "Up, up, move."

The other chuckled to himself, "Lemme think, maybe if you ask nicely, I'll consider it."

The younger huffed out an exasperated breath, stubbornly remaining silent for a moment, but ultimately gave in, "Alright, fine. Will you please get off me?" His arm dropped back against the bed, body going limp as a sign of him giving up.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," slowly, he removed himself to sit on the edge, Prompto following his example shortly after, hand tenderly tracing his lower back where the other had planted himself. "Any better?" he pressed once the kid was seated next to him, rotating his head from side to side as if testing out his refreshed form.

"Actually, yes, a bit," he got to his feet in order to stretch the tautness out further, "Thanks." And, truthfully, it had helped; he now found that turning his head, or using any part of his upper body was far less strenuous and more comfortable. Still a bit tense and painful, but better nonetheless.

The other nodded his approval, "Don't mention it." He went to pat the blond on the shoulder, but stopped when his hand was an inch away and pulled it back. "I'm gonna go get my shower now," he stated, grunting to his feet. Before going to the bathroom, he took a short detour to Ignis, and swiftly tossed over the bottle of pills, trusting the adviser to hang onto them more than himself. "Here," he whispered, "Don't let them out of your sight." He didn't miss the way Noctis looked away, nor the small scrunch of his features with the visual reminder.

"But, of course," the brunette replied, stuffing the container into his own pocket with a glance over to Prompto, who seemed to be busy tapping away on his phone; he was most likely indulging in a bit of King's Knight, not surprising. Ignis narrowed his eyes as he observed, the slight movements he would make, the turning of his head to either side as he worked out lingering kinks, and the occasional rapid blinks, supposedly an attempt to clear hazy vision brought on by any moisture. Almost everything he did just seemed different, subtly so, but strange.  
______________________________________  
The majority of their day was spent in their room, all of them in desperate need of the unwinding time. And, for the most part, it did help them all to calm at least somewhat, assisted in pacifying their gloomy and/or sour moods. Noctis understandably more than the others benefited from the relaxation of this; there was still an edge of forlorn, which Ignis suspected would be there for quite some time undoubtedly, but he was a lot more tranquil. Either that, or he finally gave up and was just so overwhelmed by the cascade of news he had been burdened with over the last couple of days.

Ignis cut his eyes over to the bed containing the two youngest of their group, eyes settling on the steady rise and fall of their chests as they were lost to the world of the living, then scanned over to the clock, nearly midnight. He yawned as sleep finally made itself known to him, creeping up his spine in a small attempt at claiming him. And, agreeing to join hands with it, he removed his glasses, folded them and placed them on his bedside table. Turning off his own light, he sunk into the sheets and gently pulled the light cover over his form. Before drifting off, he glanced over to the shield, who was steadily turning the pages of his book, thoroughly enthralled by the pages as he didn't even notice the other's change in positions.

A couple sluggish blinks later and he was back turned on his left side, one hand finding its way under his pillow where it remained and rested while he shut his eyes. The slight and occasional ruffle of paper, as well as the soft and rhythmic snores across from him served as the perfect white noise to lull him off.

It didn't feel like long to him, perhaps no more than a few minutes, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but he was sure there was some reason his body had decided to depart the world of sleep and re-enter the darkness of the real world. At first, he thought maybe it was something having to do with his mind still whirring with his concerns, or maybe it was them being in a new place and his body still not one-hundred percent trusting it. But, whatever it was, the nagging it provided was irritating and deafening.

He glanced back at the clock, three o'clock in the morning; he rubbed his right eye, making sure he was seeing it right. And, like he thought, not much time had passed, but now he was positive he had at least had some sleep before he was yanked from it. Though, he was still bewildered as to why. Luckily, or rather unluckily, he was quickly provided with the reasoning for it. As he lied there in relative silence, his ears itched with a subdued sob reaching him from across the room. Now fully intrigued, he carefully sat up, trying not to make any sudden movements or any unexpected sounds.

First, he glanced back to the bed containing the youngest ones, and noticed there was only one occupying it, though in the dark he couldn't discern which of the two it was. Taking an estimated guess, he let his eyes follow the source of the cries, and ended up watching a shadow stroll by the foot of his own bed. "Noct?" he asked, squinting to try and get a better look. "What are you doing?" he kept his voice low so as not to wake the others. That is, if the wails hadn't already done that.

He got no reply, no acknowledgement, only the constant patter of bare feet as they reached the wooden section of the floor. With his eyes slowly adjusting, he could finally make out characterizing features, that primarily being the familiar lightness of the hair. "Prompto?" he called out, now that he recognized them as the right person. He didn't stop, nor did he react to the voice, just continued forward towards the door. With a lack of a better choice, he tossed his cover back and perused the blond, but kept a reasonable distance on the off chance that he was merely sleep walking. Slowly approaching, the brunette touched a tentative hand on the younger's upper arm and went to gently lead him back, but his arm was swiftly and firmly brushed away.

"Stop," he muttered, still working towards the door. "I-I have to go." His voice was low and almost pleading. Even though he seemed to be speaking to Ignis, not once did he look in his direction, his reaction almost seemingly automatic. "I have to get out," he stumbled over the leg of one of the chairs, and would have fallen if not for the other there to catch him.

Still, he kept pressing on, ignoring the hand that now gripped his wrist. "Prompto, why don't you come back and you can explain what exactly is going on," he suggested, holding a sense of calmness and ease to his voice.

"No," he muttered, pulling against the hold, "Please." His voice cracked on the word, his whole body now tugging against the hold. "Please, just let me go, I want to-to go," his breath hitched as another sob racked through him. His own hand now wrapped around Ignis' his grip strong, stronger than the other would have expected from someone of his build, and he actually found the clasp to be rather painful. Nails now dug into his skin when his fingers tightened. "Let go," he sobbed, yanking against the other while his grip continued to clench.

Soon, the pain of it became near unbearable and he had to release his own hold to rip his arm free, and he managed to do so just as he feared the bone would snap under the pressure of it. The moment he was free, Prompto bolted for the door, not heeding the amount of noise and commotion he was making, his only goal being that of leaving their room, however that may be. "Prompto!" Ignis called out for him just as he crossed the threshold, positive if the other's run for it didn't wake the others, then he certainly did. But, that would have to wait, for now his only worry was chasing after the blond and to get him back in their room so he could try to get answers out of him.

The man sprinted out the door, only hesitating momentarily in order to close it back before taking off down the street in the direction he could still hear the footfalls, steps which disturbed the last of the puddles that remained. At least being slightly taller, he had a slight advantage and was able to almost catch up with him within a minute or so of running at his top speed. Damn, he was fast when he really wanted to be.

"Prom," he called again, quieter now that he was closer, "I'm asking you calmly to please just come back, and whatever is wrong, I promise we can talk about it." He tried to be logical here, but the gunner clearly wasn't listening, or he didn't care, either way Ignis' patience was running thin and barely keeping it together. "Dammit, will you just hear out what I have to say?" he demanded more than asked and took the last few bounds required to reach him. Though, this time he did the smarter thing, or rather more effective method, and wrapped both arms around him in order to prevent him from fighting back as much. "I'm sorry, but you have to stop and come back, alright? Enough is enough, we can't have you running around aimlessly in the middle of the night like this!" he raised his voice as Prompto struggled against the embrace.

"Let me go!" the blond yelled, his legs flailing hopelessly against the restraining limbs of the adviser. "Let go," he sobbed, bucking his head back in a last resort attempt to free himself. And, with the definite sound of a 'crack', he was again released along with a small cry of pain from the other. But, he didn't make it far before he was snatched up again, but this time there was no escaping; this hold was far tighter and much more secure than the previous.

"Hey, calm down," came Gladio's gruff and commanding tone, clearly not in the mood to be taking any bullshit right now. "Son of a bitch," he muttered more to himself as the blond's squirms turned into full blown struggles. "Knock it off already," he growled, winding his arms more guardedly around the lithe and floundering frame until he eventually began to tire himself out into nothing more than a trembling and whimpering shell of what he was. Gently and cautiously, he loosened his grasp a smudge, and eased the both of them to the pavement. "Are you calm now, or am I gonna have to knock you out?" he only half joked.

The younger didn't reply, but fresh tears streamed down his face in silent misery, his hands furling and unfurling at his sides, unable to do anything more than that. Eventually, his movements ceased altogether and he slumped against the shield, who was quick to readjust himself to make up for the sudden shift in posture.

"What the hell is going on?" Noctis asked, running up to stand next to Ignis, slightly out of breath from having to sprint immediately after having being shockingly awoken. He glanced over to the man and his eyes widened marginally at the steady trail of blood dripping from under the man's hand which was held protectively over his face. "You alright?" he asked, clearly concerned.

Ignis pulled his hand away to see the red staining it for himself. "I'll be alright," he said simply and replaced his hand back over his throbbing nose. "Gladio, is he ok?" he cautiously walked over and crouched in front of them and brushed a few strands of golden hair to the side to find his eyes peacefully shut, his breathing coming out evenly. "He's asleep," he sounded more surprised than relieved.

"So what, all that was just sleepwalking?" the brute asked incredulously, not buying it for a moment. "Sure had a lot of fight in him for someone who was just sleeping?" he nearly spat, nodding towards the strategist's face. "I hate to be the one to say it, but something has to be done about this before it gets out of hand," he glanced down as he said this, watching as droplets still fell from beneath closed lids, even in his sleep quiet tears escaped and rolled down his face only to drop and fall down into the decaying puddles beneath their feet.


	8. Dawned Upon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake
> 
> Btw, I'm leaving out the use of potions and other curatives, seeing as they make things far too easy, and also since they are never used in Kingsglaive, and I kinda wanna follow more closely to that from now on.

Ignis merely sat there, eyes resting on the blond's prone and slumbering form as he held a rag to his nose in an attempt to stunt the blood flow; the throbs now dulled away into a tedious and irritating nuisance. He glanced at the clock, now past five in the morning, and the only sign of life they had received was the occasional distraught whimper and whine in his sleep. Dreams that dipped down into nightmares plaguing him as he turned to the side once again, fresh droplets of sweat running down the side of his face. Prompto's face scrunched slightly in his uneasiness, a subtle mumble whispering from his form. The others were ignorant as to what those murmurs consisted of, but the tone of it told them enough.

His eyes shifted over to Gladio, the ruffling and rummaging yanking his attention away while the man searched through their youngest's belongings while he was out. Though, he did as he could to keep the noise level to a minimum, not wanting to disturb him and alert him, knowing the problems that could arise from such a mistake. He shoved clothing to the side, hands slipping into every pocket and every crevice, leaving nothing untouched in his search. "Nothing, nothing, and absolutely nothing," he fumed under his breath, desperation and bewilderment clutching at his chest. "There has to be something." He turned the bag over, spilling its contents onto the floor as he began spreading them out and lifting one thing at a time in order to inspect it thoroughly.

"Gladio," Ignis kept his voice low, it being vaguely distorted due to his protected and covered nose, "Calm down."

"I am calm," he growled, practically throwing another shirt back into the bag. "I'm as calm as I'm gonna be." He picked up a pair of pants and started shaking them vigorously, trying to shake out anything he may have missed in his search, but quickly gave up and shot up to his feet, thrusting the material back onto the floor and into the pile, "Dammit, this is gonna get us nowhere. I should just wake him up right now and get answers." He went to take a step towards the blond, but a light touch on his upper arm stopped him dead in his tracks; his teeth gritting together in pent up frustration and worry.

The tension in his arms fled at the contact, and he settled his eyes over his shoulder, landing on Noctis' downcast head, his face obscured by midnight hair as it fell in front of his own gaze. "Just stop it," he barely uttered, the words almost inaudible as they fell on the shield's blood-filled ears, "Alright? Just stop."

The brute turned his head away with a small grunt and let his shoulders slump a bit. "Have it your way," he shrugged, going to sit in the free chair next to Ignis. "But when he wakes, I'm done playing games." He dropped himself into the cushion, right leg already draped across the other and arms firmly crossed.

The king glanced from his protector down to the clothes still littering the floor, and a forceful wave of rage seemed to surge through him. "What the hell is your problem?" he kept his tone low and precise, an edge of poison coating them as his tongue spat sharply, "You're over there treating him like a common criminal." His hands balled at his sides as he finally cut his eyes over to stare intimidatingly into amber daggers.

The other grimaced at the comparison, he was doing no such thing; there was a difference in being cautious and thorough for the well-being of someone you cared for and regard someone as a typical hoodlum. Grinding his teeth, he spat back, "Choices have consequences, and if you act the part, well..."

"We don't know for sure though," Noctis countered. "This is nothing but you two seeing something because you don't have a better expla-"

"Noct, for crying out loud, he broke Iggy's nose!" his voice increased in volume, becoming almost that of a full yell, and realizing his error, he quickly lowered it. "If he were his normal self, that wouldn't have happened; he wouldn't have tried to make a run for it. How can you not see the issue with this?" The man remained seated, but he didn't need to move for the younger to feel the heat radiating from him, coming off in bulldozing droves, "Matters like this take a bit of harshness, get used to it."

The raven-haired didn't respond, his only reaction consisting of scoffing and glancing towards his adviser, red-stained rag resting beneath his nose, and even in the darkness of their room, he could make out the blossoming bruising that trailed around the surrounding area, accenting his eyes in a not-so-flattering way. And, in that moment, he permitted his loyalty to his friend to falter, allowed his knowledge of his companion to become questioned in the back of his mind. Despite his overall flaring emotion towards Gladio, there was no mistaking that he had a point; Prompto would never do something like that if he were in the right mindset, and it absolutely burdened his heart to consider it. With a lack of a better response, he dropped to his knees, and as if on autopilot, began sorting through Prompto's things, carefully slipping them back into his bag where they belonged.

Through all of it, Ignis remained silent, eyes back on watching the gunner, waiting for the moment he began to stir, so many questions and concerns swimming around his head in an endless cycle. He pried the cloth from his face, wincing when the small movement brought fresh agony searing through his features, and waited a moment for a new stream of blood that never came. Finally, at least that was one less thing to worry about. Lifting a finger to brush over the bone, he flinched at the slightest touch, but that's all it took for him to feel the swelling that infested the area, the light heat that drifted off it.

Seeing as there was no telling how long he'd sleep, the same patterns were recycled now for nearly an hour, he pushed himself up with a small groan and hovered towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. The man leaned weightedly against the sink and, for the first time, really soaked in the appearance of his face, the response to witnessing the damage for himself being to cringe both inwardly and outwardly. Contrasting darkness was already creeping along his face, leaving the taut and angry swelling in its trail. He hadn't been aware how rough it was before now, the pain wasn't so severe as to give away the extent of the injury, but then again, his mind was still preoccupied with other things.

Looking more closely, his glare settled in the slight bend in it, and turning his head more to the side, he became painfully aware of the crookedness of it. Breathing in sharply through clenched teeth, he prodded the area, instantly yanking his hand away at the barbs of fire it produced into the skin. And, as the throbs and stings bounced across his face, he felt the weight of the pain killers in his pocket. Normally, he would have no issue taking a couple to take the edge off if nothing else, but giving the current predicament, he couldn't bring himself to do it. It didn't matter if it would help, and it didn't matter that Prompto wouldn't know, but he would know and there was no way he would be able to shake the guilt off.

He removed his glasses and set them aside, index and middle finger finding their way to massage lightly over sore eyes for a moment. Then, pulling them away, he turned on the faucet, turning it as cold as the tap allowed. And, cupping both hands, a splashed the frigid liquid over his face, the chill of it helping to numb the muffled hurt pulsing through. Carefully, he replaced his glasses, lowering them tentatively on his bridge. He left his face damp, not wanting to feel first hand what drying it off would feel like.

Ignis sighed out with another once over, knowing it was only going to look worse the next day, but that could wait; he cast his gaze away and flipped the light off on his way out. Stepping out, he found the other two to be in the same spots: Gladio sitting in his chair, arms crossed and staring at Prompto, a mix of betrayal and worry swirling in them. And Noctis, just finishing up repacking the gunner's belongings, zipping up the bag and setting it back to the side in its original place. Strolling by, he walked to the table, and pulled on of the chairs out to set it next to the bed and settle in it. Crossing one leg over the other, he went back to his earlier pass time of keeping an eye on the blond, still waiting for that first sign.

And, turns out he didn't have to wait long for the patience to pay off as a vulnerable and short groan escaped, his face twisting in terror when he turned back facing Ignis. Lids lifted to reveal dilated and frantic eyes, darting around in nonrecognition until the landed on the adviser, then the panic drained from them, and familiarity sunk in at the sight. "Iggy?" he slurred, still slightly out of it, "Wh-what are you doing?" He set the man with a look of bewilderment at seeing him so close, and sitting in a chair.

"That's what we should be asking?" Gladio was next to Ignis in a matter of seconds, his glare bearing as he looked down on the younger, and Prompto unintentionally shrunk under the weight of it. "Where were you going?" he wasted no time in getting to the point.

The blond blinked in pure puzzlement, his mouth opening and closing in a loss of what the man was asking. "What?" he finally asked. "I-I haven't gone anywhere," he laughed nervously, the sound being void of humor and jest. He pulled himself to sit up, scrutiny darting between the two of them. "Iggy?" he hinted for the backup, pleaded for some sort of verbal assistance. "What is he..." His face slowly fell when he just noticed the dark patch marring the man's face, "What happened?"

"You can't tell me you don't remember bashing his face with your head," Gladio scoffed, his nerves and composure getting away from him. "You can't sit there and tell me you don't remember acting like a damn madman, running off in the middle of the night!" His hand was out the side by the time he got it all out, breaths coming out deep and forced with his growing annoyance.

The look that fell over his face was nothing short of dazed terror, his head gradually moving from side to side in his denial of the happenings. "No," he stammered out, voice now lightly trembling, "No, I haven't done anything, I promise, I-"

"Prompto," Ignis spoke in his calm and collected way, chiming in as a nice change from the brute's interrogating ways, "Tell me, what's been going on with you?" He sounded genuinely curious, honestly wanting to hear his reasonings, if there were any. "Your behavior, the dreams, the mood swings, none of that has gone unnoticed, and I want to know what's been going on." Even though the inquiry was pure, there was still a hue of knowing, like a parent that knew their child had been up to no good, but giving them a chance to tell the truth.

Before he could even come to terms with what was happening, he felt a few sharp pains shoot through his neck and down his spine, a quiet whine leaving his lips. "B-before I start explaining, any chance I could take a couple...ya know, for this?"

Gladio's brows furrowed subtly, "No, isn't that the reason we're in this mess now?" he questioned incredulously, but the obvious confusion in those sky orbs had him questioning himself. "I'm gonna get right to the point." His tone was much softer now, "Have you been taking anything other than those pills?" He held his gaze locked onto the younger, forcing him to keep eye contact.

"Wha-? Why would I... no!" He slowly realized what was being inferred, "No, why would you think that?" He crawled over to sit on the edge of the bed, "Is that what this is all about? You think I'm some low-life addict..." he trailed off the accusation stinging a lot more than he would care to admit. "I may be a lot of things, but a druggie is not one," he nearly bit, his own anger riling up again, though not nearly as strong as it had been the previous night.

"If that's not the case, then how do you explain it all?" the shield fell back into his old and harsh way of getting information out; his voice gruff with controlled fuming. "Well?"

The blond's hands fell into his lap, thumbs running circles around themselves as he refused to look back at the towering man. For a moment he stayed like that, unsure of what was even going on himself; as far as he was concerned, it was only a bit of muscle pain and nightmares, but that was nothing too unusual. Both could be easily dismissed with stress, which surely they were all under. Prompto was pulled from his thoughts by the fingers that wrapped gently around his wrist, the contact calling for his attention. He glanced down, eyes wandering over the hand and landing on the cuff of his sleeve, watching it when the slightest movement caused the material to shift. There was no stifling the small gasp the sounded out, his gaze scanning over the subtle purple marks that looked suspiciously like fingers.

Without saying anything, lips slightly parted in realized shock, he used his other hand to pull the sleeve further back, his stomach churning with the sight of it. Before he could place his own hand over it, Ignis snatched the limb away and held it snug against his body, "Prompto, all we want to do is help, but we can't do that if you don't give us any information to go on." He folded his arms in his lap, placing the right under the left, effectively hiding it from sight.

He was still taken aback from the bruise, one that was awfully close in size to his own hand, that it took him a few seconds to process what was being asked of him. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say?" he confessed, subconsciously seeking out Noctis, momentarily forgetting his friend was there with the heat of the moment. He spotted him easily, the man standing somewhere behind the others and leaning against the wall. His own stare was off somewhere else as he listened to the conversation unfold. But, he felt the piercing and pleading gaze, and turned his head to meet it. "Noct?" he asked so many questions using only the one. 'What's going on?' 'What are they talking about?' and 'What have I done?'

Sensing the silent internal struggle, he stepped forward, not at all gently pushing by the shield, "Prom, there was something I wanted to ask you about, but I didn't know how I should ask, I guess." He took a deep breath, still unsure of how he should word things, "The other day, when I... found you in that room," the look on the gunner's face said he knew exactly where he was going with this, "you were terrified." His own brows knit closer together as he went on, "And you can't blame that on stress or any other bullshit. I know you, Prom, and that was pure and utter fear. What the hell happened before I got there?"

Those eyes were overflowing with awkward remembrances, images flashing behind them that brought forth his cast-aside horror. "I-I can't explain it," he swallowed hard against the dryness in his throat, voice quivering and stuttering, tripping over his tongue.

"Just try," Ignis' encouraging tone urged him on.

He looked between them; all three of them seemed to be listening intently, all eyes on him as they waited. There were no hints of disbelief and no signs of mocking, and with their acceptance in mind, he started the best way he could think of, "You guys remember that... painting?" he choked on the word, expecting them to roll their eyes or something at him bringing that up again, but nothing. They remained watchful until he felt comfortable enough to continue. "I think something's, I don't know... weird about it? I feel a bit nervous around it."

"That still doesn't explain why you were so terrified of me," Noctis stepped forward even closer.

Again, Prompto swallowed against his memories of it. "Right," he lightly chuckled, turning his eyes to stare down at the floor. "Remember when I said that I thought I heard you down there?" he cut his eyes up, looking for that nod of confirmation. "I really did hear you in there. Of course, you weren't, but I know– I know for a fact I did," his volume was steadily declining down to that of a whisper, the words struggling to reach the ears of the others, but they picked up on each and every one uttered. "I-I even saw you down there, y-you were right there, Noct, I could touch you and everything, but... but– it..." he choked on his words, entire body riddled with light tremors as things became more difficult to relay, "It wasn't you, it..."

"Prom," Noctis crouched down in front of him, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I-I couldn't," Prompto shrunk a bit, at the tone, so laced with thin rage... but not towards him per se. "It felt unimportant compared to everything else; I thought it was nothing."

Ignis hummed at that response, pondering on it as he got back to his feet. "Well, I see we check it out then," he suggested simply. "If it is as you say, then it's in our best interest to deal with this should it be a legitimate danger to us, as well as other citizens." He didn't wait for any agreements, nor the opposite, and strolled straight towards the door. "Are you all coming, or do you plan on sitting there until the sun comes up?"

"You want to go now?" Gladio questioned, glancing out the window, "It's still dark out there."

"Of course," he replied plainly. "There will be too many people during the day, too much risk and too many opportunities for things to go sour. Not to mention, I'm fairly certain the authorities wouldn't appreciate us snooping around in a place such as that," he pushed his glasses up, knowing full well he made his point painfully crystal.

The brute mumbled incoherently, scratching the back of his neck, "Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'." He glanced back at the other two, "You heard the man, get yer asses up, we don't have much time before it's daylight." He waved his hand, the motion appearing to literally set the other two into functioning adults; both dipped their heads in a half-nod and hesitantly followed the others back outside. "This still seems a bit far-fetched," Gladio revealed, a quick glance at the blond catching the slight moment of shame. "But, I guess you wouldn't have a reason to lie... would you?"

The younger shot him a look, but said nothing to him and brushed by him in order to walk next to the adviser. His eyes instinctively drifted to the man's face, finding himself unable to look away; the guilt at actually harming someone he cared about was something he had hoped to never experience, but here he was, waist-deep in the scum of it all. "Iggy?" he finally spoke up, only looking away once the man gave him his attention. "I'm, uh, sorry about... that," he flicked his eyes in the direction of his nose.

"You were not in your right state of mind," Ignis sighed, flashing his gaze back forward, "Therefore, there is no need for apologies."

"It doesn't matter, it still shouldn't have happened; it's never happened before, I've never done anything that I didn't remember, so it doesn't matter one bit," he was biting his lip painfully by the end of his short ranting outburst. "I don't know why it happened."

He turned his head towards the hand on his shoulder, "Well, we're gonna find that out."  
________________________________  
Prompto stopped at the top of the stairs, feet almost merging with the concrete, refusing to allow his body to go beyond that point. Ignis only made it halfway down before he noticed the absence next to him and glanced over his shoulder, falling directly on the blond's statuesque form, frozen in apprehension. "You can wait up there if you please," he changed his mind about encouraging him to come down, not wanting to force him to go any further after seeing the terror shine in his stare. "I just want to take another look around, so it won't take long," he turned back around and took those last few steps to the bottom.

"N-no, I'm coming," he forced out, almost dragging his right foot to place it on the next step down; it was a fairly small movement, but the will-power it took was almost unbelievable for him, and there were still quite a few to go from there, "Eventually."

He flinched, turning on his heel at the brush against his back, "Calm down, nothing's gonna happen to ya, alright?" Gladio attempted to lift some of his agitation and actually be somewhat understanding of the situation, "Just try to stick close." He quickly joined Ignis at the bottom, standing next to him as they now both patiently awaited for the others. Prompto watched down on them, fighting against the shaking in his legs long enough to take that next step, but even knowing the others were there should things descend to Hell again, he still struggled to make it down.

"It'll be fine," Noctis promised, stopping next to him. "Stay calm and don't think about it." Together, they managed to get down a couple more steps, then another, and gradually they ended up at the bottom. Prompto hadn't realized they were there until he finally took a look around. "See? Not so bad." Noctis shrugged, with a kind smile on his face.

The gunner shot his eyes around, seemingly a tad shocked at having made it down. "Heh, yeah, lemon squeezy," he chuckled out, standing up straighter and trying to appear at least a little bit more confident than he was. As he scanned the room, the other was aware of the way he avoided looking at the painting altogether; he never once even turned towards its general direction, his eyes strayed towards the bottoms of the walls and the floor.

"So," Gladio broke the relative silence, striding towards the artwork. "What's the big deal about this?" he gestured a hand towards it as he approached it, stopping a couple feet away from it. "Just looks like a woman to me," he shrugged. "And you said you saw... Noctis?" He looked over his shoulder to gaze at the other's profile, his head slightly tilted downward.

"Yeah," he nodded and lifted a finger towards the far corner, "Right over there."

All three of the others craned their heads to follow the direction and stared at it for a moment as if something would magically happen; it was Ignis who made the first move towards it, strolling over gracefully, he knelt down on the spot. "And you didn't see or hear anything else?" the man asked, still scanning over the spot.

Prompto shook his head, then remembered it couldn't be seen and vocalized the reply, "Not that I can think of, well nothing other than the crying I heard before coming down."

The strategist's ears pricked up at that, the recent memories of his soft sobs from the last two nights. It was nothing too major, but it did strike him as quite the odd occurrence... or coincidence. With that in mind, he stood back up and turned towards the canvas, staring at if for a moment as he tried to piece things together. "I'm not sure exactly what is going on, but I'm beginning to think what you're telling us is the truth," his own hairs stood on end when he got closer.

He felt like a weight had been lifted, though not the one he wished would go away as his aches kicked back up and his upper back throbbed fiercely. "Thanks," he whispered, relieved that someone at least gave him some credit. He cut his eyes over to Gladio with that thought, who wasn't even looking at him in return. Instead, he had a hand glancing over the paint strokes, inspecting it, Prompto supposed. As the brute's fingers brushed down the arm, the blond could have sworn he felt a light breeze run down his own. The sensation flooded his skin with goosebumps and made his blood run cold. "Did anyone else feel that?" he questioned, first bringing his eyes to Noctis.

"Like what?" his friend turned a worried eye on him, "I don't think I felt anything."

The blond rubbed his hand over the area, feeling nothing there, but to him, it still felt rather cold in the area, "I don't know, like wind, a breeze?"

The king shook his head slowly. "Nothing," he clarified. A noise of uneasiness sounded at his reply, and Prompto was back to darting his eyes around them, paranoia again setting in and he was just waiting for something to happen.

"Still sounds like a bunch of bull to me," the shield finally spoke up for the first time since climbing down. "No one else has seen or heard a damn thing," his fingers continued to prod at the image, and so far, it still felt like a normal painting to him. "Are you sure you actually seen and heard all that, or was it nothing more than your imagination? Or hallucinations?" His hand soon made its way to the face, sitting there for a few seconds before he turned to face the others. As he turned, he felt his nails graze over the stroke, a bit of it coming off and sticking underneath them.

He faced the others just as Prompto's right hand shot to his left cheek, a gasp of both surprise and pain slipping out. "What the hell?" he glanced towards that side of him to see nothing there. And, taking a quick feel over his cheek, he felt a sting from the small scratch that now resided there. In that moment, Gladio had forgotten what he was about to say, and he looked down to his hand, finding the flakes of dried paint stuck under his finger nails. And, in a second of genuine fear, he looked back to the painting, narrowing in on the scratch that marred the woman's face as well.

At last, the brute was at loss for words; no more snippy remarks, and no more under the table suspicions. This was all too weird for him to properly process and he could only stare at the face and the mark across it. His body took a single step back on its own, "Ignis? Have any explanation to this?" he asked once he was over his initial shock. He then looked back to Prompto, hand still on his cheek, and the same expression on his face that mirrored what Gladio was feeling: bewilderment, terror, and unshakable surprise. Ignis didn't answer right away, he was already on his way over to the other two, prying the blond's hand from his face to take a look at the minor wound. And, as he thought, it was nothing serious, but the fact that it seemingly came out of nowhere was enough to rattle anyone.

"Noct?" Ignis fixed a hunting stare on him, "When did you say Luna would be here?" His voice was unnaturally serious and coarse, a sound that did not befit the man by a long shot.

"I-I don't know?" His own fear was setting in now, mostly second hand from the unrest the others possessed, "It could be at least a few days? Why? What's going on?" He lightly grit his teeth in growing anxiety, everything slowly starting to blur together into one. "Specs?" he pressed when the other didn't reply.

Ignis removed his hand and cut his focus back over to the painting, watching it carefully; the longer he stared, the more disquieted he felt; there was definitely something wrong with this place, and that painting. "We should get back to our room," he spoke softly, forcefully turning Prompto around to start heading towards the stairs.

"What's going on?" the ushered man asked, resisting the push, desperate to know what was on the other's mind. "Ignis, please?" his voice cracked the lump. "Answer me!" That got the adviser to stop long enough for Prompto to leap away, heavy pants heaving his chest, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

He breathed out heavily, closing his eyes momentarily as he built up the courage to speak his new suspicion. "All I can say is, this is beyond us," he stated downheartedly, "This is something out of our skill set, and we need someone of her status to handle this." The silence that filled the air was all but pleasant, the direness of that simple revelation closing in tightly around their chests as they all slowly realized what that meant.

Prompto's breathing picked up in pace as what that entailed ran circles in his skull, making it impossible for him to focus on anything else. Everything hurt, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. Breathing hurt, thinking was agony, and just being was pure torture to him in that moment. "Are you... are you saying that..." he had to stop when he felt bile rise in his throat. He placed a hand over his mouth, his head slowly moving from one side to the other. Afraid he was about to lose the strength to stand, he felt an arm wrap around him and support him; he glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Ignis right there, keeping him from collapsing into a puddle of misery.

"Don't worry," he spoke lowly. "I promise, we'll get this taken care of; this isn't something that can't be dealt with, alright?" All he got in return was light tremors, "Prompto, do you understand me?" This time he got a small nod, but it still appeared as though he weren't really listening, his gaze still blank and unfocused. "Everything will work out; Lunafreya will know what to do." He glanced up to meet Noctis' gaze, the same level of terror in his.


	9. Latched On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting and istoleyourcheesecake  
> This chapter ended up waaaaaay longer than I had intended, but hey, at the point where the teaser left off at least. XD

He felt like everything was collapsing: his world, his emotions, and even his lungs, his breaths were becoming more burdensome and more painful to force in. Words fluttered around him, tickling his ears, but he couldn't comprehend them; he recognized the voice as Ignis', but that was it. Prompto knew he was there as well, he knew they were all there, but he couldn't shed that sensation of utter isolation. What the hell was going on? He wanted to get out of here, away from all of it, but he couldn't move; either his body or someone else wasn't granting him that ability as he felt a tightness close around him. But oddly enough, it wasn't painful or unwelcomed; it was secure and... comforting? The blond was able to piece his crumbling mind back together long enough to figure out it was arms that were enveloped so guardedly around him.

"Prompto, just take a moment, and breathe," Ignis spoke softly, almost inaudibly, his breath fluttering against the younger's ear as he spoke. One of his hands wandered to the back of Prompto's head, holding it there on his shoulder to keep it in place as he slowly turned them around; doing so to make sure the painting was out of his sight and so it wouldn't cause further upset. With the other held so close, he felt each and every minor and greater tremor that traveled through his form; every breath was manually taken and was strained to be pushed back out. Small and near-desperate whimpers sounded out between each one and uncontrolled gasps of air gripped at all of them.

"Ignis," Gladio finally found his voice again, the initial shock finally fleeting his vocal chords. "If you know what this is about, then I think you should tell us." It was more of a suggestion than a demand.

Said man remained in this position, throwing a glance towards the shield. "I highly doubt this is the time to be explaining anything," his voice was saturated with unspoken obviousness. He took a deep breath when the chest heaving against him gradually fell into a more normal rhythm, "Later, when we get back to our room and everyone has had a chance to process and collect themselves, then we'll talk about it." He gently placed his hands on either of Prompto's upper arms and carefully pulled him away to look him in the eyes: blue orbs that continued to hold an essence of terrified confusion. "Are you alright now?" 'Of course he's not,' he mentally noted.

Heavily contrasting his clear struggle, the blond nodded slow, "I-I think so." He swallowed thickly, shoving back the urge his body had to vomit. "I will be," he quickly corrected.

"If you still need a moment, it's no problem," the adviser calmly assured, not wanting the other to feel obligated to pull himself together faster than he needed to. It was understandable for the situation to take such a high toll on one, especially when involving something of another world entirely. "Are you sure you're fine?" he kept one hand on the side of his face to prevent him from looking to the others, wanting an honest and uninfluenced answer.

"Really, I'm good," Prompto placed his own hand over the brunet's and easily brought it away, slipping out of the man's supportive hold to stand on wobbly legs, "Can we just go back now?" His eyes shifted uncomfortable to the stairs as he bit his lower lip, and Ignis couldn't help but cringe at how vulnerable he appeared in that moment; it wasn't something he was used to seeing. Slender and pale arms raised to wrap around himself and unsure feet moved their way towards the exit.

Keeping an eye on his departing back, he waved a hand to the others, "Come on, it shouldn't be long before the sun rises, and it would not be in our best interest to be caught down here." His soft footfalls quickly matched that of the gunners, but with longer strides, he easily caught up with the younger and remained at his left flank as they walked; he didn't entirely trust the man not to collapse just yet.

The others were left behind in relative stunned silence, Gladio's hand still held out in front of him. "Did that really just happen?" he asked, not really expecting an answer; he still didn't want to believe it himself. It just didn't make sense, "Did that... I really hurt him?" He finally lowered his hand to look over to where the others were just a few seconds earlier and took a deep breath, "Guess I kinda made an ass of myself."

"Kinda?" Noctis bit venomously. "That's putting it lightly, don't ya think?" There was no hiding his boiling over disappointment and disgust any longer; and he wasn't sure why that was, perhaps it was procured from the shock or the fear, "You were practically cuffing him yourself!" He was slightly caught off guard by the lack of a reaction the other presented, if anything it looked as though he had nothing to say about it: no objections, no defenses, and no explanations. "What, you don't have any more of your brilliant theories?" he spat the last two words, eyes cut over to dig into the larger man.

Gladio huffed a breath and let his hand finally fall completely to his side, "I'll admit that I was wrong, and I'll admit that I owe Prompto an apology. But, I did nothing wrong in suspecting that something wasn't right." He willed himself to walk forward, shoving past the raven as he was about to retort in a clear gesture that he was done with the short-lived conversation. He already felt guilty and ashamed as it was, he didn't need someone else to remind him how he should feel. As he reached the top of the stairs, he tossed one last look over his shoulder, looking once again at the scratch that marred the image. His eyes then shifted down to Noctis, he remained how he was, attention also now directed at the painting.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

The journey back to their room was nothing more than a blur; the memory of it being heavily overshadowed by the concern that loomed in the back of his mind. Prompto barely recognized where he was until he was steered to turn to the left, then he glanced around his surroundings. They were back at the hotel, and letting his curiosity guide his attention higher, he could make out a bit of coloration painting the once drab sky. "Oh, guess it's morning," he tried to sound casual, but his voice was weighed down by that same gloomy anchor.

"Yes, it's almost seven now," Ignis flatly replied, entertaining the younger with the facade of a normal conversation. He retrieved the key from his pocket and swiped it, "I think we're all in need of a cup of coffee by now," he pushed the door open and held it for the blond to step through. "And I may as well get breakfast started while I'm at it," he muttered under his breath. Prompto said nothing as he dragged himself in; he understood what Ignis was doing, and he really did appreciate it, but he couldn't muster the same level of optimism and familiarity. He just felt like curling up somewhere and giving up. "Want a cup while I'm making myself one?"

"Sure," he shrugged, walking over to the table to slump into one of the chairs before his legs had the opportunity to give out on him. Deprived of anything other than trepidation, he placed his head on the table, the coolness of the polished wood feeling quite soothing against his blemished cheek. His eyes slid shut momentarily, and for a bit he savored it, appreciating the short minute of imitated rest; that moment being cut off by his burrowing unrest. Prompto's eyes shot open, and he jolted back upwards, almost overturning the brewed cup that had just been placed next to him. Breaths came out punctuated and labored, his heart picking up again. "S-sorry," he quickly apologized, hands moving to wrap around his cup. Warmth immediately flowed up his fingers, assisting in chasing away some of the internal chill.

Ignis shook his head, indicating that it was alright, and for a while they both took small and reluctant sips of their coffee, more or less trying to revel in the little time there was for that. The way the blond kept glancing over at him gave way to the fact that he was dying to ask something; something that was eating away at him ever since that minor yet excruciatingly terrifying encounter. "As soon as the other two get back, I promise, I'll explain all that I can. I'm not sure exactly what's going on, nor all the details, but I do have a rough idea."

Prompto still didn't reply; he didn't really know how, didn't know how he should feel or react to any of this. He was bewildered and horrified, yes, but he also felt somewhat indifferent, and to be honest, that was that part that scared him the most. His sudden lack of interest in the issue, and the emptiness he felt in the current moment. He could have simply blamed it on himself getting overwhelmed, his earlier panic-induced episode draining him of his fear and anxiety. "Ok," he gruffly replied, the single word struggling to work its way out and even hitching on its way out. His gaze dropped to watch the ripples run through his beverage, staring down at his muddied and warped reflection.

With another blink, he caught the sight of a disorganized face right next to his own. Eyes widened, and drawing in a sharp gasp, he twisted around, the abrupt movement even startling the normally composed strategist. He blinked a few more times in rapid succession, half expecting to see the figure again, but it was no use. "Prompto, it's quite alright, you're safe," the other attempted to alleviate the small outburst of frantic suspicion.

"I just... yeah, I think I'm just paranoid," the blond gazed in that direction for only a moment longer and slowly turned back, this time keeping his attention somewhere other than in his cup. "I'm probably just tired," he smiled nervously, making excuses for himself more than Ignis at this point; he refused to accept the things he was seeing, the things he was hearing or feeling. It just wasn't real, it couldn't be. But, everything pushed him towards it and made it more challenging to refuse. His fingers were now dancing apprehensively over the table's surface, another electrified burst of energy surged through him, but this time it was triggered by the door opening. "Noct, Gladdy," he muttered, almost forgetting that they weren't here.

The shield offered him a head bow of acknowledgement. "Yeah, sorry it took so long, we kinda had, well, ran into some issues," he spoke heatedly, his words only being cooled by the shaken revelations. He took the seat next to Prompto and exchanged a few awkward and uncomfortable glances with him, the words, 'You were practically cuffing him yourself!' replaying in his head. Clearing his throat and leaning his elbows against the table, he intertwined his fingers to rest his chin on top of them, "Listen, Prom, about the whole, uh, drug thing," he turned his head away to mutter that part. "I was mistaken, and I guess what I'm trying to say is," he rubbed the back of his neck and relaxed back a little. "I'm sorry, I should have had a bit more faith in you." His teeth were grit by the end of his apology, his pride taking a massive hit in the process, but the relief from getting it out there countered it nicely.

"I understand," was all he got as a response, the golden head going to lie back against the table, but he kept the eye contact, and Gladio found it somewhat unsettling; the unfocused gaze resting on him. There was no anger or disappointment; only acknowledgement and acceptance, and for some reason, to him, that was worse.

"So," Noctis sat in the remaining seat with a small huff, "About that explaining." He set Ignis with a prying gaze, determination in his eyes. At that insinuation, the others looked to him as well, both watching him intently, waiting for answers.

The brunette shifted in his chair nervously, his attention falling to his hands while his words sorted themselves out on the back of his tongue, which tasted bitter and vile. "Are you sure you want to know?" he glanced back to their faces, each of which continued to hold that expression of demand, "Right, I don't know what I expected. I suppose I should start off easy, that being that whatever is going on, it's clear that it's of paranormal nature; something that none of us are equipped to take care of." He could physically feel the deviation in the atmosphere, growing sickeningly thick with dread. "But," he picked back up, "This is something Lady Lunafreya is well achieved in, so there is no doubt in my mind that she will know and be quite capable of solving this."

A light cough, and the three of them turned towards Prompto, "When you say 'paranormal', what you really mean is possession, don't you?" They were silent, taken aback by the bluntness of that statement; and Ignis had planned on working to that point, not wanting to jump right to it just from the severity of that assessment. The delay from the adviser had told him enough. "I thought so," he pushed himself up and started dragging his feet into the other part of their room, "I'm tired, so I think I'll, uh, just take a nap."

"And that damn painting has everything to do with this?" Noctis spat, trying to keep the conversation going and ignoring the whole doom and gloom the best he was able. "How the hell does that even work?" His tone came off as slightly unbelieving despite what he laid witness to, but it was still fresh in his mind and he honestly didn't want it to be true.

Gladio hummed next to him, wanting to know the same thing. "It would appear so," Ignis sighed, the man also a bit surprised and bothered by the discovery, "At any rate, there is a connection, and by no means a meager one." His eyes narrowed at the thoughts and inquiries popping up in his mind.

"I say we just destroy the damn thing and be done with it," Noctis growled out more harshly and loudly than he had intended; his chair skidding back as it was shoved aside. But, a strong and firm clasp on his wrist all but gently yanked him back down, "Tch, What?" He met glaring amber eyes.

"Is that something you really wanna risk?" his voice was low and daring, the hidden message making itself clear as day.

"Gladio's right," the adviser crossed his arms over his chest. "It would be in everyone's," he flashed a glance in the blond's direction, "-best interest if no more damage came to that specific object should it do more harm than good." He grew quiet for a moment, his eyes dulling over in a spectacle of his obvious show of scheming and planning, "It should be kept safe for the time being; it being where it is still has a chance of being damaged should the wrong hands come across it."

The way he spoke strongly insinuated just what he wanted to do. "Iggy, I'm pretty sure that's stealing," the king blinked a few times, the usual law-abiding strategist considering theft boggling his mind.

"I prefer the term 'borrowing'," he flicked his emeralds up at him. "I promise, it will get returned to its rightful place."

The shield couldn't stop the sly smile from showing and the light chuckle from sounding, "I like where this is going. Well, let's get to it then." It was now his turn to make an attempt to leave.

"We can't very well just go in and take it," Ignis reminded with a subtly disappointed look on his face. "Especially not in the light of day; there are far too many witnesses and we would be caught before even stepping out." He looked down, both hands placed flatly on the table to push himself up, "We will wait until later tonight, for now, I have some supplies I need to pick up. We are running low on groceries and other necessities." There was a glint in his eye that betrayed him about him telling the whole truth. It was a devious shine that was so uncommon in the man that the others decided not to comment on the matter. "You two think you can handle the cooking? Though, I don't entirely trust your pallet or skill in the slightest, but I'm unsure as to when I'll return. In fact, maybe just make yourselves some toast, it's low risk."

"Have a little more confidence in us, would ya?" Noctis asked with a scowl.

The brute roughly patted him on the back, "I think he's right, Noct. Last time you cooked anything we all had food poisoning for nearly a week. Toast sounds preferable."

"It wasn't that bad," he mumbled under his breath, but his embarrassment of the memory prevented him from voicing his personal opinion any louder. "This place doesn't even have a toaster," he added with a quick glance around; he only spotted the stove and a microwave, "How are we even supposed to make it?"

"Use your imagination," Ignis suggested, already heading to the door and walking out of it before he could be asked any more questions. Noctis pursed his lips in annoyance. "Is it possible to microwave bread?" he wondered out loud, seriously considering trying it to find out.

The larger man sighed audibly, "Don't worry, I'll fix a simple something, I at least know how to do a few things without burning the place down or poisoning anyone." He stepped over to the cabinets to search through them, digging around until he came across a box of pancake mix. "Well, I guess this will work well enough. Prom!" he called loud enough to be heard, "Don't fall asleep just yet if ya can help it." He peeked around the corner to find just a lump of blankets, his head completely covered as he got no reply in return, "Alright, little late for that, I suppose."

Noctis remained in his seat, staring off in nothing, losing himself in thought. He was unsure of how to handle all this news at once. It was like being punched in the stomach right after being sprayed in the face with pepper spray; just one slap in the face after another until he formed the beginning of a discombobulated clusterfuck. First there was the tragedy that struck Insomnia just the other day, and now they had to deal with some pestering spirit on top of that. His thumb drifted up to his temple to massage soothing circles into it, the side of his head throbbed with the thinking energy it required. "This is all just too much," he mumbled, to no one in particular, though he still got a hum from Gladio signifying his agreement.

"Noct, go turn something on, it's too quiet in here, gonna go insane from it," the shield nodded in the direction of the tv. At first Noctis sort of glared at it, his opinion of it still a little tainted from the last time it was on and he was fairly certain enough time hadn't gone by for any news of his home to be over with by now. "You don't have to turn it to a news station, ya'know," he added seeing the expression on his face.

"I know that," the kind replied flatly, closing his eyes and getting up. "I'll find something boring for some background noise though," he sighed, walking over to scoop the remote off one of the bedside tables. "I suppose this will do," he left it turned to some kind of infomercial, the forced energetic voice only slightly agitating.

"That'll do," the brute commented. "Anything to drown out this gloom," he shrugged, pouring the first of the batter into the pan, the sounds of the sizzling mixing nostalgically with the enthusiastic tones.

Noctis glanced over at the covers, the rise and fall of them were rhythmic and normal, "Should I wake him?"

"Nah," he waved a hand, "Let 'em sleep, I'll just make him some when he wakes up if he wants any." He grabbed a spatula to tease the edges of the cake, pursing his lips when he managed to rip part of it. They didn't have to look presentable as far as he was concerned, as long as they were edible.

"Not asleep," the muffled and miserable voice filtered through the materials. "Can't sleep," he added with a heavy and irked sigh, the cover flinging off him as he shoved it aside in order to sit up. "Can't stop thinking for long enough." A hand combed through his hair, wandering all the way back to his neck where it stopped to press against it. "That and everything freaking hurts," he leaned forward to try and stretch things out.

Gladio shared the same exhale, "Ignis still has the medicine on him, when he gets back you can take something for it." His own chest pricked with that, the guilt still laboriously pressing down in him.

"Alright," his hand continued down his neck and went across to his left shoulder, fingers brushed lightly over the muscle, twitching back as they connected with chilled flesh... skin that wasn't his own. His heart skipped a bit, agonizingly thrumming against his ribs while his hand fluttered over himself, searching for whatever it was he had felt; but, they never located it again. He took in a trembling breath and removed his hand, eyes wide and glued to the floor at his feet. "I-I'll be right back," he stammered, shooting up and rushing to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him in his haste and stopped in front of the mirror.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he lifted the edge of his collar to peek underneath it, desperately wanting to see what it was that was there, but of course there was still nothing; nothing but his own body. His form jolted with the knock at the door, "Everything alright?" It was Noctis, his words cutting through worriedly.

"Yup!" Prompto called back, the pitch giving him away. He placed both hands on the rim of the sink to lean over it and gather his nerves; at this point he couldn't tell the difference between what was really going on and what was his overreacting paranoia or his stressed imagination. His fingers squeezed the porcelain before he pushed himself away and eased the door back open. "Sorry, thought there was a spider in my shirt," he gave an awkward and sideways smile; the look of it not sitting right for him.

"Uh, ok then," the other responded, deciding it was in both of their best interest if he just went with the obvious and blatant lie. He was about to say something else, but the blond shoved right by him, not gracing him with any other words in his passing. Prompto stopped in front of his bag, hesitating for a moment when he noticed how everything in it was in disarray, and definitely not how he had left it, but he pushed that speck of confusion aside to look for what he needed. Within a few seconds he was pulling his camera out and already had it on. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he blurted out without thinking, then the question asked finally processed. "I need to... well, I haven't taken any pictures in a while and thought I should get some," is what he said, but the blandness behind his reasoning was transparent. "Just want to take a few." And with that, he was heading towards the door.

"H-hey," Noctis grabbed onto his wrist before he could get very far, "Where are you going?"

"I told you, out to take some photos, am I not allowed to do that now?" There was a tinge of bitterness in that, "Am I suddenly on house arrest?" He yanked his hand away to hold it against his chest protectively, his eyes boring into his friend in his offense.

Gladio tuned in at that moment. "Prom, it's not that we don't trust you, but after last night, I think it's best you don't go anywhere alone," he spoke calmly and quietly, but to the gunner it still came out as hostility and unfaithfulness.

"I'm not doing anything wrong, alright? And I'm coming right back."

"If that's the case, then you won't mind me tagging along," Noctis folded his arms stubbornly. "But you're not going out there by yourself. Either you let one of us join you, or you stay here. Your choice."

Prompto chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment, his irritation bubbling up, but he somehow succeeded in swallowing it back down. "Fine, if that's how it's gonna be, then be my guest," his voice was tight with forced casualness. Without waiting for a confirmation, he headed back towards the door. "Be back soon," he directed at Gladio, "Probably within a few minutes."  
__________________________  
"Where are we going exactly?" Noctis asked, glancing around anxiously when he noticed they had only been taking back streets, never once going down any of the main ones. Which, for someone who wanted to take some photos, this was an odd way to be taking them.

Prompto made a small noise as he turned another corner. "Somewhere away from others," he drawled out absentmindedly, not paying much attention to anything else other than where he was going. "I just wanna see something," he spoke softer, and Noctis wondered if he was even talking to him anymore. At times it even felt like he was almost forgotten.

The abrupt stop had caught the raven-haired off guard, and peering around his friend, he saw why; they were at a dead end. And, even though he knew the guy fairly well and trusted him with his life, he couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled by this choice of location, especially given that he wanted to be where others weren't. But, then he remembered he originally wanted to come alone, so whatever it was, it couldn't have been anything involving him, so that served some degree of relief.

Still, he stepped back and kept his distance while the other got his camera ready, but what really struck him as strange was the moment he aimed the lens at himself, the device held up over his head at a downward angle. As he opened his mouth to say something, the flash went off, followed by two more. As the last one was snapped, he stayed as he was for a few seconds, his body tense and shaking slightly, and it took Noctis a second to realize it was from fear. Which he probably wouldn't have known if it weren't for the vacant look in his eyes. Slowly, he lowered his camera and turned it over in his hand and gazed down at the screen for a while, finger hovering over the button as he struggled to will himself to press it.

This whole time, the king remained silent, watching and waiting to see what the hell he was going on about. As he stood there, he could feel the atmosphere shift, chill and density flowing in around them. "Prom?" He couldn't be quiet any longer, his curiosity was bearing down on him, begging him to investigate the situation.

His eyes never left the camera, but he nodded his head. "Alright," he breathed out, finally finding the courage to push his thumb down, switching the screen over to his taken photos. Utter silence from him, not even his pulse was blaring in his ears; breathing ceasing and gears jamming as he stared down at the image. "Noct," he choked out, hands becoming slack and his camera dangerously slipping from his grip. Said man barely got there in time to catch it before he could drop it.

"Prompto," he leaned down to stare him in the face. "Hey, what's wrong?" The gunner didn't answer, he couldn't, words and voice were forgotten in his shock and horror. But, enlarged eyes, drifted back to the camera in Noctis' hand and another strangled choke ripped from his throat as he attempted to say something. He felt light-headed as he gazed at the screen; he felt sick and disgusted. One of his now free hands floated back around his neck where it felt nothing but air.

Reluctantly, the other followed the distressed stare, slowly turning towards it as the reaction from the blond caused his own uneasiness to swell. Eventually, his own eyes landed on the picture and he felt his own bile start to rise with the sight of it. "W-what the fuck..." he whispered, his attention snapping back over to Prompto, looking past him, but also seeing nothing there. With that, he looked back, and shared the blond's terror induced stare, his focus settling on the second face in the image, resting itself gently on his shoulder; its own hands clung to that one as well as the other to hold itself up. Whatever the hell this thing was, it was literally clinging to his friend's back; hanging there and near snuggled against his own body.  
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Gladio scraped the last of the pancakes out of the pan and placed them on top of the uneven mess of a stack; it was more like a pile, really, of pancakes, but they looked fine enough at least. He placed the plate in the center of the table, glancing towards the door as he did so, his concern coming back when the others hadn't returned yet. More than a 'few minutes' had been passed. As he reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone, the door slowly creaked open. "What the hell took you so lon-" he cut himself off at witnessing the two of them shuffle in, Noctis having one arm wrapped around the other as if he would collapse should he remove it. "Did something happen?" he asked, playful lecturing fleeting him.

He went to their side, becoming frightened himself at the paleness of the blond's face and the lack of acknowledgement he offered him. "I'll... fill you in later," Noctis said lowly, keeping his head lowered; the tone of it did nothing but make the shield feel even more uncertain and anxious.

"Alright," he stepped back to give them space, not pressing the subject further. "Well, uh, food's ready if anyone still wants any," he tried fruitlessly to lighten the mood, learning right there that he wasn't as skilled in that department as Prompto may have been, but what else could he have done? Not much, that he knew for sure, as much as it pained him, he was terrible with this sort of stuff, and now it was really showing.

"When will Ignis be back?" Noctis got right to the point, seriousness drenching his words. "He really needs to see this," he lifted the camera, but kept it at an angle where Gladio couldn't see what was on the screen. Still, he found himself looking towards it, eyes narrowing when it became obvious he wasn't meant to see what was on it just yet.

"How am I supposed to know, he didn't tell anyone," Gladio pulled one of the chairs out for Prompto, Noctis setting him in it and making sure he was situated before stepping back and waving Gladio over. Together, the two of them walked to the other part of their room, far enough to not be heard.

Glancing back to make sure the gunner's attention wasn't towards them, he handed the camera over to the man. "Here," he nodded down at it, making sure not to look at it again himself, knowing full well it wouldn't be any easier to take in a second time around. Instead, he focused on Gladio's reaction towards it, and as he thought, it wasn't much better than his own, but the difference was he immediately shut the device off and tossed it onto the bed, not wanting to even hold it anymore.

A hand went to slide down his face, stopping to rest over his mouth as he turned his head to the side. "And that... that thing," he had to stop to take a deep breath. "It's actually... there?" he shook his head softly, looking back down at Noctis, "Right now?" He got no response, but he very well knew the answer, and it did not sit comfortably with him in the slightest. "Son of a bitch," he reached for his phone again, and as quickly as he was able, sent Ignis a message, urging him to hurry the hell up. Hopefully he would understand the severity of the situation if Gladio was the one demanding he get back instantly.

To the brute's annoyance, he never got a reply back, and a few hours even passed, and still no sign of the adviser. If it were anyone else, he may have been worried, but this was Ignis, and when he was up to something he could be pretty unresponsive, he found out; even when it was clear he should get back. Gladio checked the time, and already it was past noon, more time having went by than he first thought. And, this entire time, Prompto had yet to utter a word; either he was still in shock at their most recent discovery, or he was too lost in his own mind, and he was willing to bet on the former. Hell, he was convinced he would have passed out if he were in that same position.

He cut his eyes to the table where the other two had been sitting this whole time; Noctis trying desperately to get the blond to at least participate in idle conversation, but all he could drag out of him was a few nods and shakes of his head. He did manage a few hums, but no actual coherent communication. It was unsettling, to say the least, outright disquieting if he were being honest about it. He nearly jolted to his feet when his phone went off, and glancing over it, released a relieved but equally agitated breath at seeing the strategist's name on it. "About damn time," he muttered, opening the message. His eyes squinted as he read over it and wasted no time in getting to his feet. "Noctis," he placed his hand on the younger's shoulder when he reached him, "I'm going out, not sure how long I'll be gone, but we have something we need to attend to." He held his phone up to signify he was talking about Ignis. Noctis gave him a quick 'alright' and focused back on the blond.

Before leaving, the shield sent the man a message back, informing him that he would be there shortly; and, with one last glance in the others' vicinity, headed out. There was no other alternative than to trust Prompto alone with Noctis, and he just prayed he didn't deviate back over to violence in his absence. As small as the kid was, he actually struggled a bit the previous night in restraining him. If things were really advancing like they seemed, then there was no possibility of the others succeeding in doing the same if they had to.

With that, the other two were left to themselves, the tv still droning in the background, only labored and short breaths emitting from Prompto as his eyes eventually strayed from an imperceptible spot on the wall and onto his closest friend. "What if we can't get rid of it?" his voice cracked out as he fought an itching sob that wanted out. "What if Luna can't do anything?" He took in a deep and shuttering breath, "What if...?" He bit his lip to prevent it from quivering.

Noctis cleared his throat, meeting dampened blues, "You heard Ignis, this is her kinda stuff, so just shut up and believe him." But he was right, there was no guarantee that she would know what to do, but it was their main hope, and doubting it would only scathe their optimism, what little of that they had left. They couldn't afford to second-guess her ability, not now, not when they had nothing else to depend on. "Look, why don't you focus on something else for now? Worrying about this isn't gonna make it go away."

"Well, it sure as hell isn't gonna make it worse," he snapped back, his face faltering instantly, "I-I didn't mean to snap like that." He lowered his head into his hands, "I'm sorry, I'm just... I don't know." His head moved slowly from side to side, "I just don't know right now." He was still exhausted, but he was terrified to try and sleep; the past few days it had brought nothing but traumatizing sightings and memories. "I'm just tired," it came out as a soft whine, hands rubbing small circles over his eyes. "And I have this damn thing literally latching onto me." His body tensed even more at saying it out loud for the first time, "And there's nothing I can do about it... how do you get rid of something you can't touch." It wasn't a question. "I just want this to be over," his head lowered down to the table, his cheek pressed firmly against it just like earlier.

"Maybe you should just go lie down, you don't necessarily have to go to sleep if you don't feel like it, but you need to relax a bit before you give yourself an aneurysm," he placed an arm around the other's shoulders and started guiding him upwards. "Come on, I'll be there with ya, so it's fine." After he said that, Prompto began following willingly, allowing himself to be ushered back to bed, and before he knew it, he was back under the covers, the weight of them helping to calm him just slightly. He climbed in after him, keeping to his word and situating himself on the mattress, if nothing else he could make sure he actually stayed there if he remained close by.

The moment he let his head rest against the pillow, his own weariness creep up on him, reminding him of how little sleep he'd actually gotten these past few nights; last night he hadn't even gotten three hours with everything that went on, so it was no wonder he felt as drained as he did. And, now that everything was calming down, it hit like a truck. It didn't take long for everything to be abandoned as his eyes demanded for rest and his body commanded the same. There was no fighting it anymore, he had to give in to the calling of slumber, it was a cruel mistress and refused to take 'no' for an answer.  
__________________________  
He didn't know how long he was out, or what it was exactly that had woken him, but he was immediately struck by the lack of a weight next to him, and he sent a hand over to investigate, finding the spot completely empty; Prompto wasn't there anymore. The time was lost to him, but if the stiffness in his body was anything to go by, quite a bit of time had gone by; there was no light filtering through his lids, so clearly the sun had gone down at some point while he was out. He was about to get up, to see where the other had gone, but his ears had picked up on something before he had the chance, the sound pinning him to the spot as it was far from normal, and his mind couldn't quite place it.

That noise, so grating, so penetrating, scraping through the air and into his head. Like nails on a chalkboard, each drag resounding off the interior of his skull more painfully than the last. He didn't dare to move, no, more so found himself unable to pry himself off the bed, or even convince his eyes to open if only the slightest amount. His body wouldn't let him, and at this time, Noctis understood true petrification, understood what it meant to be trapped and bound down by one's own fear. But, why was he so afraid? There was nothing to truly be afraid of. 'Scratch.' Another injection of ice plunged through him. Mumbling, spoken so softly, yet completely uncontrolled followed the sound. That sounded so unlike the friend he had come to know, and somehow, he could still hear him in it.

'Scratch.' He felt nothing as more terror was pumped though his veins, he wanted to call out, wanted to scream, to help, to do anything. But he couldn't. There was no-one but the two of them, no others around to hear him if he were able to give in to his urge.

'Scratch.' He had to do something, lying there like a frightened child would accomplish nothing. A shuddering breath. A demand to himself to just open his eyes, but what if what he saw was that of a true nightmare? No. That shouldn't matter. He needed him, and he would be damned if he was going to revert into a frightened child and leave him there on his own.

'Scratch.' Dammit, why was this so hard? Why was everything so numb, so encased in solidified horror, slowly suffocating him.

'Scratch.' So undenyingly calling him for aid, begging for someone to take it all away.

'Scratch.' Finally his eyelids cooperated, cracking open, but nothing coming into view for them; only stark black greeting him with anticipation.

'Scratch.' He opened his mouth to speak, only succeeding in releasing a small and meaningless croak. Heart now grasped in chilled tendrils, weaving in and around, he held his breath before attempting again.

'Scratch.' "P-Prom?" Breathy and uncertain, his voice joined the fray of scrapes and mumbles, almost getting lost within them. The noise stopped. Although relief should have replaced his fear, it didn't. Only more dread and more apprehension. "Prom?" he asked again, mustering the will to speak louder. A strained and agonized fueled sob took the place of his response; it shattered the border between reality and delusion, and he prayed to himself, begged to himself that this was merely a bad dream. It had to be. Unseen weights painstakingly fled his body, giving Noctis permission to go to him.

He acted almost without purpose, limbs moving on their own as his instincts to just help took over. One foot on the floor, the other hesitating in its following, and another stifled wail brushing past him as he pulled his body upright. The process of walking over was slow, reluctant and cautious. The choking hold of utter and absolute panic teased its fingers across his throat and chest. "Prom, what are you doing?" his question pulled the other to a halt, the once rocking silhouette coming to a deathly stillness that sent a tremor through his spine.

"Lass mich raus," he spluttered out against another sob. "Lass mich raus, lass mich raus," he repeated, hand drifting back to the wall and falling back into its idle rhythm of clawing, clawing over and over without restraint. "Lass mich raus," he spoke louder, voice becoming clearer, taking on an edge that was so unlike him. Noctis took another step, footfalls drowned out by Prompto's desperate pleas. Foot in front of foot, each one being placed down reluctantly until he was within arm's reach.

"Hey," his heart raced, pounding against his ribs in an attempt to fruitlessly escape. It hurt, unimaginably so. "Prom, why don't you-" he paused to lick dry lips, a trembling exhale fluttering out, "Why don't you go back to bed, alright?" He didn't recognize his own voice, it sounded too reserved, too restrained and trifling. Silence followed, deafening quiet that only assisted in accentuating the ringing blaring in his ears. His hand was reaching before he could constrain himself, "Hello?" It was placed on the blond's shoulder.

Prompto didn't react to the contact, only sign being him allowing his own shaking hand fall onto his crossed legs. He took a deep breath, the tremors racked through him and up the prince's own arm. A drawn out and anguish-laden whine slipped out, his head careening forward to lean against the once pristine wall of their room. Even in the blackened night, the darkened stains stood out. "Come on, let's get you back," Noctis tried again, hand traveling down to his bicep and gently tugged.

Startled, he gasped, snatching his arm away as he dragged himself backwards, almost primal-like, pulling with his arms and kicking with his feet, only stopping once his back found the corner. His face was shoved against the wall, mouth agape in a silent cry, "Bitte, lass mich raus!" He pulled his knees under his chin, both arms now wrapped tightly around them protectively, "Ich will gehen, lass mich einfach gehen!"

Noctis still had his hand outstretched, hovering in shock and frozen in fear, breath hitching as he was once again at a loss of what to do.

"Lass mich raus!" He shouted this time, words echoing off the walls, seemingly taking on an imitation of itself. It was inhuman. This wasn't Prompto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is still enjoying this. OwO Think it should be over halfway through by now.


	10. Night 3 and The Heist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto is starting to get a bit more on the violent and hostile side of things. OwO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> Ok, so I normally say it doesn't matter if you know the German parts in this or not, whch it still technically doesn't, but for this chapter knowing what's being said does give some hints and make this a bit more intense for the most part. But, keep in mind, that translators do make the translated version sound a bit weird and extremely formal; just know that what's spoken is pretty vile.

Gladio strolled down the streets at a quickened pace, his feet clacking along the stone pavement as he weaved around the various citizens. Frequently, he gazed back at his phone, checking the address for about the twentieth time in the last ten minutes; eyes flicking back up and around to lock onto every sign and scan over them. Damn, why did everything have to have such complicated and fancy names, why couldn't they make more sense like they did in Insomnia? He scoffed, coming to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk to peek around, for once in his life the temptation to ask someone was nagging at him. "Iggy, couldn't you have it least come back by the room first?" he mumbled to himself, scratching the back of his head as he slowly realized he was just delving deeper into the realm of getting lost.

At this point he may as well have been wandering around aimlessly, he would have had the same success rate. Hell, he may have even had more luck with that method, and frustrated, he stuffed his phone back in his pocket and decided to carry on without its assistance. Pulling his hand back to scratch the side of his neck, his eyes skimmed across a few windows across from him and his lid twitched at the familiar face on the other side. With a sigh, he glanced at the sign over the door, and of course that was the place. He was too preoccupied with being frustrated about overlooking the place to be relieved.

Ducking in, he made a bee line for the table Ignis was seated at, not hesitating to sit across from him, "The hell this all about?" he asked the moment his arms were leaning on the table. The adviser nodded to the bag lying next to his feet. The shield leaned over and pulled the edge back, raising an eyebrow at the black materials the filled it and was that...rope? "And what's this for?"

"Tonight," he replied simply, closing up the back and dragging it closer to rest between his feet, "We're gonna do what we have to."

"So, you really intend to do this then," Gladio had a smile badgering him to break through, "Where has this devious side been all these years?" He caught the glare that was directed at him, silently lecturing him on the severity of this decision, and that under other circumstances this would have never been a consideration of his. "You gotta plan? You know we can't run in there guns'a blazin'"

Ignis rolled his eyes at the absurdity, "I'm quite aware of that, and yes, I do have a plan thought up; though, I'm not quite sure how well it will work, or if we can pull it off, but I don't have any better idea."

"Well?" he waved a hand, asking for an explanation.

Slowly, Ignis shook his head, "We can't discuss this in public, not when there are so many people out and about anyway. I'll explain before we carry it out, when we're there."

"Or we can just go back to the hotel and talk about it there," the brute recommended, an air of 'that's obvious' to his tone, "No one there but Noctis and Prompto." He gave a one shoulder shrug and pulling his attention towards the window.

"I'd prefer not dragging them into this; you know if any of this is discussed in their presence, either they will be highly opposed to it, or they'd pester to come along. I'd prefer to keep this up to the two of us if it can be helped," he reached his right hand to push his glasses up, wincing with the accompanying pain, "Yes, I'm sure they are already quite aware of what we're up to, but that's why we're here at this moment; hard for them to tag along if they know not where we are."

Gladio was beginning to understand now, leaving so early in the day, hours before the sun would even begin to depart, they wouldn't suspect they were already in the process of snatching the painting. Then, the remembrance flashed back up, the photo. "Hey," he started expression morphing into that of a more concerned appearance, "Something happened while you were gone, I'd almost forgotten about it, but I don't think we have to worry about them wanting to help out anymore." What should have been delightful to hear was nothing but dread as the strategist picked up on the graveness in his voice.

"What happened?" his hand was lowered to provide his undivided attention as the information was painstakingly relayed to him; each word plunging his heart further down. "I see," he mumbled once it was all out in the open, his mind rushing back to all the instances of the blond's discomfort as he subdued a shudder at having a reason for all that now. Sighing heavily, his gaze fell to the table's surface, eyes following the deep grain, "So, things are escalating quite a bit quicker than I thought it would."

"Which means?" he asked, but he was certain he didn't want an answer to that; he wasn't sure why he bothered asking.

And, to his surprise, Ignis shrugged with a sad shake of his head. His right hand combed a tad shakily through his hair, "As was mentioned, this isn't a field I'm familiar with; creatures and daemons are one thing...but spirits and beings of the supernatural realm, I have limited knowledge on. But what I do know, that if this thing has the ability to cause physical harm and discomfort, then it's clearly quite powerful."

Gladio saw something in the others' eye that screamed his uncertainty, "There's more, isn't there?" he whispered, voice tight with unease and apprehension.

Ignis' mouth tightened into a straight line, his hesitance evident, "I didn't want to say this in front of the others," he started, keeping his gaze down, refusing to meet Gladio's eyes, "But, I'm genuinely fearful for Prompto's well-being. I'm concerned about the safety of others as well, especially if things continue to get out of hand, but this is and will be effecting him the most drastically." He blinked rapidly a few times and eventually looked back up, "And I have no clue how to help him through this, and I believe that's the worst part about this; the not knowing, the unpredictable behaviors, and the aftermath once this is all over."

The other nodded slowly, understanding fully how Ignis felt about all this, and hearing him admit this did no favors for his own anxieties and fears. "Son of a bitch," he nearly growled out in frustration, fist balling up on the table, "Why the hell did this bastard choose him? Never had these issues before, so why then?" he asked rhetorically, his anger and disheartenment intensifying. He took a deep breath and released it before he allowed his emotions to take over and caused a scene.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's just more susceptible. Spirits are more attracted and likely to attach onto those that are emotionally and mentally vulnerable." Saying that out loud stung the both of them. "I'm sure you're even aware that the majority of that optimism and energy he has is nothing more than a facade." He folded his hands under his chin, "It most likely saw the opportunity and took it, possibly saw or felt something about him that it could relate to."

"I thought you said you didn't know much about this stuff," Gladio narrowed his eyes from all the information.

"I said I didn't know much about dealing with them," he clarified, "I know enough about them and how they work for the most part, but that's as far as my knowledge goes." He pulled out his phone to check the time; only four in the afternoon, still a lot of time to kill. "Hope you're prepared to play the waiting game."

"I am as long as you think Noctis will be able to handle Prompto with the way he turns into a maniac," his voice carried an essence of humor, but his expression held nothing related, "Even I had a hard time keeping him still last night," he muttered with a heavy exhale of breath.

Ignis pondered on that for a moment, the throbbing in his face flaring up again, "I have confidence he'll be able to take care of things, if anything it doesn't seem to last long before he wears himself out. In any case, there's no helping it."  
_______________________  
Gladio's foot tapped impatiently against the tile as he watched yet another young couple, drowning in their own sickening affection for one another, waltz on out. At this point he had long lost count of how many left before them and he could feel the judging and questioning stares they were starting to receive from the staff of this establishment. Either they thought they were up to no good, which would have been correct, or they had other assumptions on their mind, none of which left a good taste in his mouth. Glancing at Ignis, the man showed no signs of being at all affected by the watchful eyes.

"Excuse me, sirs," one of the waitresses finally strolled up to them, stack of dishes balancing precariously in one hand, the other fidgeting nervously at the edge of her apron, "We're going to be closing shortly, so if you plan on ordering anything, I suggest you do so within the next few minutes," she cleared her throat, eyes skitting around and never focusing on one of them for very long.

Ignis checked the time once more, a little past eight now, "Oh, it appears we have lost track of time," he feigned surprise, but did a fairly amateur job on his performance, "We'll just be leaving, we have some matters to attend to." He grabbed his bag and dug around in his pocket a moment to toss a few gil onto the table, "Your tip," he stated the obvious.

She didn't get a chance to reply, the both of them left her with a confused expression. Cutting her eyes down at the offered money, she pursed her lips and hummed lightly, "A tip for what?" she mumbled under her breath, but scooped it up anyway.

There was still a considerable amount of daylight left, but with the distance they now had to cover it was highly likely it would be fairly dark by the time they got there. Already though, the crowds had thinned noticeably, a good amount of them heading back to their homes or rooms, and those that remained appeared to be finishing up their shopping or simply going for an evening walk. "What time you plan on doing this?" Gladio asked, stepping closer to the adviser's side in order to keep their tones low.

"As soon as it's dark enough," he answered straightforward, "Dark enough to not be seen easily anyway." His hand unwittingly gripped around the handles of his bag, "Before we get there though, how well do you do with heights?" He cut his eyes over with a knowing and teasing half smile, "I do hope you handle those well." Gladio didn't reply, but the insinuation of that statement had him equally curious as he was scared at this point about what the man had thought of to get this done.

The closer they approached their destination, the more Ignis' nerves burned and the more he began to second guess things. But, every time he questioned whether or not this was right, his mind flashed back to that scratch on Prompto's face, and he was determined not to allow things to get worse than that. No, no way in hell that was happening if he could prevent it. And, now that they were almost there, he was dead set on seeing this through. Grabbing Gladio by the wrist, he took a sharp and unexpected turn into an ally, dragging the other deep into it before letting go. "Put these on," he almost commanded, tossing some of the dark clothing at his chest.

"Could at least say please," he joked, removing his jacket and throwing the long sleeve shirt on. Next he lifted the toboggan, "Really? I'm gonna look like a damn criminal," but he placed it on anyway.

"That's because we're about to be," Ignis reminded, putting on his own sketchy attire. "Now, if you can, I need you to find a way to the top of that building," he turned his attention upward, and pointed to the roof, at a spot directly above them, "Go up there, and try to find away to get on top of the place containing the painting and wait for me above its entrance. And do try to be quiet about it."

The shield raised one eyebrow, wondering how he was supposed to manage that, but with a little bit of searching around, he was able to locate a sturdy-enough pipe running along the side of the bricks, "Not sure how this is gonna be useful, but I trust ya," he sighed, wrapping both hands around the metal and giving it an experimental tug. "Well, here goes nothin'" he spoke softly to himself and began the tedious and iffy ascent to the top. Without looking down, he hauled himself over the edge, only risking a glance down once he was certain he was stable up there. And, to his annoyance, Ignis was gone, already off to start his part of this plan of which he still failed to explain.

With nothing better to do, he carried out his only instructions and made his way towards the other side of the building, coming to a full stop when he approached it and gazed down. It wasn't an incredibly huge gap, but it was wide enough to make his guts tangle with the sight of it. The fall would be enough to kill someone should they slip, but he was self-assured that his leap would suffice in this situation. And, taking a few steps back without thought, he sprinted forward, pushing off the edge of the roof with his left foot to land a little less than gracefully on the next building. He assumed this was the right rooftop, so there was nothing left for him to do but sit and wait.

Ignis waited until the shield was almost at the top before he turned and slithered around the corner, eyes darting in each and every direction with every step he took, and so far, the coast seemed clear enough, permitting him to continue forth. The pace was steady and arduous, but with due time, he eventually made it to the entrance, wasting no time to run in and hurry the process up. His hands moved swiftly, and he dumped out the remaining items in his bag, rope and black sheet spilling out. Leaving those on the floor, he stepped over to the painting and stood before it for a long minute, scanning over it and hesitating placing his hands on it; almost afraid of touching it.

Swallowing the growing lump, he laid both hands on either side and lifted it off its mount to slowly place it on the floor and lean it against the wall. Keeping his eyes glued on the painted ones, he grabbed the sheet with his left hand and draped it over. The purpose being to help keep it hidden as well as cushioning it against any possible bumps it was bound to receive. "Remember, this is for everyone's sake," he muttered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath when he started to doubt himself again. "Alright." he snapped them back open and grabbed the rope next, tying it securely around the wire on the back of the frame, going as far as to tie a couple more knots to guarantee it wouldn't come loose.

Everything now in order, he stretched his hands back on either side and walked it over to the entrance, leaving the bag where it was; he had no more need for it. He propped the canvas up just outside in order to search for the last thing he needed, finding something that would work for the job almost instantly with the mess that occupied this area. Lifting the brick in his right hand, he tossed it in the air a few times to evaluate its weight, deciding that it was heavy enough for its intended purpose and tied the other end of the rope to it.

With everything securely in place, he pulled his phone back out and typed out a quick message for Gladio, 'Step away from the edge.' Ignis waited a good few seconds, giving the man time to read it and follow it through. Keeping an observant watch on the edge, he reeled his arm back and just chucked the brick as hard and far as possible, a satisfied smirk creeping onto his face when it landed. Quickly, he sent another quick message, 'Make sure that doesn't fall off, and wait for me.'

His heart was thrumming uncomfortably against his chest with the anticipation and thrill as he slinked back into the ally, pressing himself against the side of the structure as soon as he was hidden in the shadows of it. Taking a couple deep and calming breaths, shoving down his disquiet, he followed Gladio's earlier example in using the pipe to pull himself up and let out a relieved sigh upon reaching the top. Speaking of which, he found him almost instantly across perched on another roof, brick in hand.

"Got a pretty good throw, who would have guessed?" He raised an eyebrow and pushed himself up to his feet, "Think you can handle that jump now?"

The adviser rolled his eyes and stood on the edge to peer down, "I don't suppose I have much of a choice," very similarly to the other, he leapt across, landing easily on the other side, "Alright, we need to pull it up now, do so slowly and carefully, we don't need this thing banging against the building for multiple reasons."

"Yeah, I gotcha," he stepped back, brick still in hand, to pull enough of the rope up in order for Ignis to grip a section of it. And, slowly, they started hauling the painting up, both of them cringing inwardly and outwardly every time the felt the vibration emitted from it colliding lightly with the building. Luckily, it never hit hard enough to cause concern. As the top of it peaked over the edge, Gladio rushed forward to grab a hold of it, lifting it in a way to prevent it from scraping along the coarse material of the building. "Alright, so now what?" he asked, holding it a few inches from the roof.

The strategist dropped his section of the rope, "Now we head back to the room and keep it in a safe place," he stated matter-of-factly, rubbing his hands together.

"What, along the rooftops?" Gladio nodded in the direction of their hotel, and it had to be at least eight or nine buildings away.

"How else do you suppose we get back, we can't carry that thing down the streets. Even though it's covered, that's still insanely suspicious, don't you think?" He stepped around the other and untied the rope as he spoke, "It shouldn't be that hard," he shrugged, dropping the rest of the rope. "It will take some time getting the picture across, I'm certain, but other than that, piece of cake."

"Mmhm," Gladio glared out of the corner of his eyes, not buying it for a moment.  
_______________________  
"Ich will nicht mehr hier sein, Warum hältst du mich hier?" Prompto bowed his head, bloodied hands gripping at either side as crimson stained the blond locks, "Ich will gehen," his forehead was against his knees now, shoulders shaking hysterically as muffled sobs racked through him. "Ich habe getan, was du wolltest, Ich habe es beendet. Sie sagten, ich könnte gehen, wenn es beendet ist."

Instead of approaching, Noctis did the only thing he could think of that wouldn't startle him again, crouched where he was, sitting across from him and locking his gaze, "Can you even understand me right now?" he questioned softly, communication was hitting a brick wall at the moment, neither seeming to understand the other.

"Was zur Hölle willst du? Wenn ich nicht gehen kann, dann töte mich," he lifted his head again, nearly spitting the words out as they ripped from his throat; primitive and terrified in tone, "Das ist es was du willst, nicht wahr? Mich töten?" Without thinking, Noctis made the mistake of lifting his hand to quickly to brush hair out of his face. "Fass mich nicht an!" Prompto shouted, voice echoing off the walls, teeth now bared almost ferociously, "Nimm deine schmutzigen Hände weg."

Slowly, he lowered his hand, deciding it was best if he didn't speak anymore, it didn't do him any good anyway. The king stared back though, trying to stay as still as possible, noticing how the blond's eyes kept flicking over his shoulder and towards the door. And, he knew exactly what he was thinking. Carefully, he eased his way to the right, gradually placing himself between his friend and the only exit.

At this gesture, his brows furrowed, pure anger and overshadowing that previous fear, "Dreckskerl," he growled, fingers crawling and clawing towards the back his neck now, "Lass mich gehen, lass mich gehen, lass mich gehen," he kept uttering, over and over, as he started to rock back and forth again, once more inheriting that desperate and pleading voice that tore at Noctis' heart. Soon his ramblings faded into unintelligible mumblings like what he heard when he woke up, nothing but disjointed noises that only slightly resembled Prompto's voice.

And, all he could do was watch, watch while one of his closest comrades was in clear pain but unable to do anything to help. He stared as those maimed fingers trailed down to his collar, pushing his shirt out of the way in their journey to his chest where they settled and to his shock, began digging in. What remained of his eroded nails were gouging into his own flesh, "Ich will nicht mehr eingesperrt sein, ich lasse mich von dir nicht mehr festhalten," he scratched further in, speckles of red bubbling through the new tears.

"Prom, stop it!" he abandoned his resolve to keep his distance now, preventing Prompto from harming himself taking top priority. Noctis, gripped both of the blond's wrists and tried to pry them away, only managing to pull them about an inch or so off his body, "Come on man, that's enough," he forced out, fingers tightening around the limbs, trying not to allow them to slip away from the slickness that now coated them.

"Bitte, ich kann einfach nicht mehr," the gunner wailed, his head listing to the side as the rest of his body went limp. And if it were for the continuous shudders and heavy panting, it would have appeared he had finally given in. "Es ist egal, es ist doch alles egal," he turned his head just enough to glare at the other, pure and unadulterated animosity swirling in dulled blue eyes. They darted around a little bit and eventually settled, staring at the hands that bound his own, and a stifled snarl-like sound hummed in the back of his throat. "Nimm deine dreckigen Hände weg," his tone was low and precise, the rust of desperation chipped away to expose the sharpened spite that lied beneath.

"Prom-" a gasp leaked out as he flinched back, the sudden movement taking him by surprise and he felt a sharp pain explode in his lower arm. "What the hell?" be bit out, flexing the muscle in his arm to try and prevent teeth from sinking in farther. He closed his eyes against the searing agony. "Dammit," he realized there was no option to be gentle about this; if he didn't turn towards force then he was certain he'd be missing a chunk of his arm soon enough.

He released his hold on the other's wrists, instantly regretting doing so when those hands switched targets and wrapped around his throat, but at least the clamp on his arm was gone, though he wasn't sure this was any better. Noctis choked against the pressure, having no choice but to let himself be thrown onto his back as Prompto positioned himself on top of him, face leaned down closely. "Verrecke, du elendes Stück Dreck," he growled, droplets of either saliva or blood sprinkling his face; he wasn't sure which it was with the poor lighting, but he was willing to bet on the latter. "Stirb, stirb, stirb, stirb," each one was spoken louder than the last, strength increasing along with it.

Noctis was swiftly losing the battle for control, the edges of his vision fading; the only noise he could produce was that of strangled gargles. Letting his instincts take over for just a moment, his fight kicking in, he sensed the familiar weight of his blade in his hand; and, using the butt of the hilt, he swung it up with all the energy he had left in him. Prompto cried out at the blunt collision, staggering away from the shock of it more than anything. He had no time to recover as the tip of the blade teased the base of his neck, pressing slightly into the flesh, "I don't wanna...do this," Noctis breathlessly begged, other hand massaging his nearly crushed throat, "Please, Prom, just get a hold of yourself."

Prompto leaned his head back to expose more of his neck, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips and the red that painted them, "Nun mach schon du verdammter Feigling," he actually smiled at it, his breaths coming out quickened and uneven. "Tu es endlich!" his voice contrasted highly with his last words, his body inching forward, causing the sword to break skin." But, he faltered as blood peeked through, a flash of realization shooting across his features, "S-stop," he pleaded, butchered hands wrapping around himself as he stepped back, legs instantly buckling. Noctis had to withdraw his blade before it had the chance to pierce straight through. Another sob broke out, this one sounding a lot more like the Prompto he knew, "Please, go away," his hands moved back up to cradle the sides of his head, which shook back and forth with his attempts to clear it.

The raven sighed in relative relief, "You back?" his voice was still shaky and unsure, but he dismissed his sword, dropping to his own knees to be on the same level, "Can you hear me?" he placed his own hands over the soiled ones, holding his head steady, "I-It's alright now, ok? Everything is...it's fine," he winced at his own tone, so obviously drenched with blatant lies and skepticism, but he had to believe he was speaking honestly. "Look at me," he asked more than demanded.

Slowly, the blond complied, gradually raising his head, stopping momentarily when his eye caught his bloodied arm, "Noc-" the metallic taste in his mouth became bitter and prominent and he could feel bile rise with the flavor of it. He yanked his right hand out from under Noctis' and clamped it over his mouth to keep himself from getting sick from the sight of clear teeth marks marring the surface.

"Prompto, look at me," he clarified, now using his own hands to guide his attention to him, "It wasn't you, and you know this, ok?" He wasn't listening, his other hand was removed as well to be held in front of his face, and seeing those covered in the substance and throbbing made him feel more disgusted; the urge to vomit was more impending than ever when his body heaved to try and rid itself of whatever it had. He shut his eyes, energy failing him and consciousness fleeting; the overwhelming acknowledgement of him causing more hurt to those around him adding to the crushing factor.

"Sorry," he whispered, letting himself be pulled into a comforting embrace, "I can't...I can't stop it," he lamented into Noctis' shoulder, left hand grasping at his shirt and he ignored the pain it sent through his fingers. "Please, forgive me...please." His face was buried deeper into the king's jacket, trying to hide itself and cower away from the world, "I want it gone, I want this to be over already," his words muffled against him, another tremor vibrating through him, and his body stiffened at his futile attempt to silence his soft whines.

"I kn-ow," Noctis replied, his own words cracking, "I know, Prom, don't worry about it, alright? We'll get things taken care of, just don't worry about it." He moved his hands to his upper arms and pushed him away to sit at half an arm's length, "We should uh, we should probably get cleaned up," he suggested, wanting nothing more than to get all the blood off the both of them; the sooner that was done, the more comfortable they both would be. "And get these wounds cleaned up as well," was quickly added as he glanced at the fingers still intertwined in his shirt and the marred scratches and tears on Prompto's chest.

The blond nodded slowly, understanding what the other was trying to do, and more than thankful for it, but he knew it would do no good to cleanse his guilt about it. "Yeah," he whispered, avoiding meeting his friend's gaze as well as directing his line of sight towards any maimed or stained area. Together the two of them rose up, Noctis having to take most of the other's weight when he wavered slightly, exhaustion highlighting his features. As they made their way to the bathroom, he glanced back at the wall, an ugly scar to remind them both of this night's events.


	11. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little bit of a change of pace, but I'm sure some of you will appreciate the ending of it. ;w;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Sinikka_von_Wolperting
> 
> A little shorter than my normal chapters for this story, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet for this moment. C:

Ignis was the first to climb down, landing with ease only one building away from their hotel. Upon landing, he gazed up, motioning his hands in a lowering gesture, "Steady, Gladio," he needlessly reminded, fear of causing Prompto further harm forever bearing painfully on his conscience. His eyes remained fastened to the painting as it slowly but surely made it way down into his awaiting and gentle hands. "There we are," he spoke softly to himself, gripping the frame tentatively as the rest of the rope spiraled down into a small pile next to his foot. In a matter of a couple minutes, the shield made his way next to him, brushing his hands off unnecessarily.

"Well, I guess that takes care of that," he stretched from side to side, his heart finally slowing down now that the worst of it was over. Carefully, Gladio peeled back the sheet to peer underneath, checking it over quickly for any potential damages, "Everything looks intact," he sighed out, relieved. Dropping it back down, he swiped a hand across his brow, wiping away the nervous sweat, "You know he's not gonna appreciate this being there, right?"

"I wouldn't expect him to," Ignis readjusted the painting to hold it more securely, "That's why we're gonna keep it out of sight." He spoke as if it had already been discussed, like it was something that should have already been known and common sense. "We can leave it out side until he's either asleep, or distracted." The adviser held the frame so Gladio could grip the other side, and together they hauled it the last few yards; the former taking the whole of it to hide it away behind some wooden pallets, effectively storing it away from view.

With a nod in the brute's direction, he stood before the door and turned the handle, pushing it open slowly and quietly when he noticed no light was spilling out. Door half open, he paused and turned his head to the side at the sound, it was running water. It was the middle of the night, the fact that they were still awake struck him as rather odd; and taking a shower no less. He gave the other a quizzical glance, who shrugged in return, and pressed his way the rest of the way in. "Noct, we're back," he kept his voice fairly low and calm, not knowing what to expect. Cautiously, he took one curious step at a time, each one barely making a sound. "Noc-" he faltered on the name, eyes falling on a slight distortion in the dark. Squinting, he inched his way to the light and flicked it on.

"What the hell happened here?" Gladio spoke up, shoving by the other man to take a closer look. The shield stopped dead in his tracks, a small sound of shock slipping out as he realized what it was he was looking at. "Dammit," he muttered, turning away from the bloodied and marred wall, "Noct!" he called.

Both of their heads snapped onto the bathroom door as the returning voice filtered through, "H-hang on," he sounded more than a little distressed, almost panicked even. "Gladio, can you, uh, can you bring some more towels?" he asked anxiously against the wood, "Paper towels, anything will do."

"Noct, I'm coming in," Ignis was there in an instant, his caring and helpful impulses taking over; and, without waiting for approval, he pushed his way in. For a moment, he stayed stationary over the threshold, mouth subtly agape as he looked around the room, "What happened?" he deadpanned, the simple and plain tone demanding answers.

"I think it's obvious?" Noctis cut his eyes back, clearly refusing to go into details. He tucked his arm away the moment the adviser's eyes flicked to it, "But it's over with now, and that's all that matters, alright?" He turned back to Prompto, who the brunet had just realized was sitting in the tub, knees drawn up and stripped down to nothing but his underwear, and that wristband that seemed to be a permanent part of his body. His hair was plastered to the side of his face, but there was some contrasting bruising peeking out from underneath. The next thing he noticed were his hands, hanging there over his legs; the fingers tainted with crimson and trembling the slightest amount. "Gladio, those towels," the king snappily reminded.

He didn't even protest against it, the sheer amount of alarm and hysteria struggling to stay subdued driving him to comply. "Right," he said through clenched teeth, spinning on the spot to carry out that task.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Ignis offered after seeing the bite, the maimed finger tips, and lastly, the blond's near butchered chest; all of which was littered with dried blood. He was responded to with the small bob of the back of that raven-covered head before he hurried over to his things, his own hands fumbling with his possessions. Though, his nerves weren't flared up due to the obvious struggles that took place, but mostly earned from His Highness' distraught reaction to whatever it had been. He'd known him long enough to know the amount it took to shake him to this extent.

Finding the small container, he rushed back to Noctis' side, "Why don't you go clean that off," he nodded towards where he still had his arm tucked away, "I'll take care of things from here, but you need to get that sterilized." The seriousness in his tone caught the younger off guard, and catching the bewildered expression, he swiftly clarified, whispering though in hopes that Prompto couldn't catch it, "Human bites aren't exactly the most hygienic and are quite prone to infection." At that moment, Gladio returned with a few clean towels and tossed them over.

"Thanks," he took one for himself and handed the rest to Ignis. Wrapping the one around his arm, he stepped over to the sink, "I'm staying right here," he muttered, making his resolution clear and unwavering, but he still took the other's words to heart and began running water over the wound with a hiss.

"Prom," the strategist spoke softly, not at all oblivious to the terror still gripping him fully, "I need to take a look at you, alright?" He slowly reached out to cup his hand around the left side of the blond's face and gently turned it to face him. Meeting wide and shallow blues, he called him again, "Prompto," he gave a light tap.

He took a deep and shuddering breath, recognition flowing back into his dead stare, "Iggy," he breathed, the single word cracking, "I-I didn't mean to." His head moved subtly back and forth, "I didn't want to hurt anyone, I p-promise."

"No one is blaming you, no one is holding you accountable," Ignis reassured, moving his hand from his face to one of his wrists to lift his fingers into view and had to fight of a chilling cringe at the sight of them. Most of the nails had been torn completely away, and the bit that remained, it was jagged and ripped. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he reached over and turned the water off; in the moment, he had almost totally forgotten it was pelting the both of them. "I'm not going to sugar coat it, this is not going to feel good," Ignis muttered apologetically, opening the kit to reveal the antibacterials within.

He released that hand only long enough to pour a decent amount onto one of the cloths, and before it had time to soak in, he dabbed it down over Prompto's fingers. "There was so much...rage," he whispered, paying no mind to Ignis' tending, "I could feel it, Iggy, I could feel every last bit of it," his voice stiffened with the tightening of his throat at the recent memory of it. "She was suffering, and was so betrayed. She pleaded for help, but none ever came," he absentmindedly rambled on, gaze fixated on the hands that mended his own. His shoulders jolted as he bit back another sob, "And there was n-nothing I could do."

"What are you talking about?" Gladio asked from the doorway, leaning against its frame while he watched on, waiting for when he was needed, if he was needed.

"I can't explain it," Prompto looked away, "I don't know, but it was there." Out of nowhere, he yanked his hand away with a gasp and held it to his chest protectively, as if he just now felt the stinging. "Hmmmmm," he hummed, supposedly trying to block out the throbs that pulled through them.

"I'm almost done with that hand," Ignis waved it back over, and reluctantly, it was returned to his care. As he was finishing up with that set, he glanced up a few times at his chest, finally putting the pieces together now that his brain wasn't frazzled to hell and back. Then he scanned up back to the bruise that decorated his left temple, the dark shades of it showing evidence of quite a hard blow. And lastly, he did a quick search over the rest of him, thankful there was nothing else that stuck out to him, other than the odd bruise here and there; and, he remembered with regret that those were most likely his and Gladio's doing.

The entire time he was treating Prompto, the man noticed each and every glance that was thrown in Noctis' direction; sometimes nervous, and other times guilty, but every one of them emanated fault. "Alright, I need to take a look at your chest now, so I'm going to need to to get out of there," he cocked his head towards the tub.

It seemed to take longer than it should have for the instructions to register, but when they did, he was quick to react; bundled up fingers clumsily supported the rest of him along the edge while he pushed himself up. With one foot under him, the unexpected shakiness in his limbs threw him off, and he let out a stifled gasp when he felt himself falter. The brunet's reflexes saved him from receiving anymore bruises, and he went as far as to assist him in the actual action of stepping out, much to his embarrassment.

Ignis could feel the steady stream of tremors the exertion caused; the meaning of it weighing painfully heavy on his mind. Already this phantom, this bitch of a parasite, was bleeding him of his waning strength, and at a fairly terrifying rate. And if his efforts weren't anything to go by, then his appearance sure as hell was. He looked absolutely worn, sickly almost from the pallidness in his features. "We should move somewhere where you are able to lie down for this," Ignis suggested, the unspoken part warning him that this was going to be worse than the fingers had been. "Gladio, could you lay a few blankets on the floor, I think it will be easiest to do it there."

The shield gave a grunt of consent and set right to it. "I think this is good enough," Noctis finally spoke again, patting at his bite wound to clear it of any remaining blood. Prompto less than subtly turned away as he began wrapping a few gauze around it. "I guess I'll, um, start cleaning up," he said, not needing to spell out exactly what he meant by that as he scooped up some of the already soiled materials and headed towards the kitchen sink to fetch a pot of water.

"Prom, you ready?" the adviser asked quietly, not wanting to move an inch until he was certain he wouldn't lose his footing. And, with a solid and verifying nod, they diligently made it to Gladio's makeshift bed on the floor. Ignis eased him down to his back, getting a slight whimper when lying straight like that had pulled at the tears slightly. Now that he had a better look at it, it became agonizingly clear that this was self-inflicted, and whether it was on purpose or not didn't take the dread from that confirmation away.

With him settled in place and relatively still and relaxed, Ignis went back for the medical supplies and got started on that part. "Alright, this may be a bit worse, so just try to refrain from moving too much if you are able." He placed a comforting hand on the younger's shoulder, a firm, yet encouraging gesture of trust. Grabbing the antiseptic again, he slowly opened it back up and gave the blond a remorseful look and gingerly poured a small amount over the scratches, the immediate response being a stifled cry against the searing sting that assaulted the area. "I'll try to make this as quick as possible," he whispered, setting the bottle aside.

"It's fine," he shakily replied, gazing up at the man through squinted lids, "It's not that bad." Ignis said nothing and started to lightly pat the area with the last remaining clean rag, internally cringing with every gasp and flinch it caused. "So, where have you t-wo been?" he breathed in, trying to start idle conversation to distract him from his current agony. "Were gone for a while." His eyes were closed and it was unclear whether or not he was really paying attention or not.

"We just had to get out for a bit to think and discuss things," he drawled out, humoring the kid with basic conversation while he worked. "About what to do from here and things like that," he vaguely continued, pulling the rag away from the wounds and grabbing a roll of bandages.

Prompto nodded, licking his lips, "Oh, right, must have not been important enough for it to be said here," he sounded slightly bitter, which was quickly washed away with his next statement, "Where is it?" he asked with genuine curiosity, cracking one eye open to stare at the adviser.

Ignis' hands froze mid-unravel, "Where's what?" he simulated innocence, hiding his crumbling confidence.

The blond turned back to gaze at the ceiling, "That damn painting. I'm not stupid, I know that's what you two were doing." Surprisingly, he didn't sound upset, angry, or anything for that matter. Just as if he were stating the obvious, "So, where'd you put it?"

He debated whether or not he should continue to try and play it off, but realized that wasn't a viable option anymore, he already knew the truth and denying it now was bound to cause some disorder, "It's just outside," he sighed, "Behind some pallets. We're bringing it in later to keep it safe." He kept his eyes down, avoiding meeting the other's face.

"Did it for your own good," Gladio butted in, not wanting all the heat to be on Ignis; he did agree to help out in the end, so this was on both of them, "Leaving it there was too risky, so we brought it here," he strolled over at sat himself on the edge of the bed to watch the both of them. "But, don't worry, it's not like we're gonna hang it up on the wall or anything." He switched his attention over to the new sound entering the room; the sound of scrubbing chillingly met his ears as Noctis began washing the wall. "Need help with that?" he offered, pushing himself to his feet.

"Only if you want to," the raven answered flatly, lingering panic coating it, "I doubt it's all gonna come off thought," he nearly growled, battling the frustration that wanted to breach his somewhat collected fortress. Digging in particularly deep with his steel wool pad, he breathed deeply, "Don't know what we're gonna do about the damages either."

From his spot on the floor, Prompto felt a small pang of guilt, knowing it wasn't anything against him, and knew that no one was holding him accountable, but it still felt as though the blame were solely on his shoulders. "I guess that's going to burn a hole in our pockets," he weakly laughed, coming out as forced and unnatural, "Yeah, sorry again about that." He glanced down at his heavily cloaked fingers, every throb sending a chill down his spine at knowing they were the culprits.

"How many times do have to tell you," Noctis said over his shoulder, "None of this is on you, so stop feeling guilty about it."

"If we even remotely thought you were doing any of this on purpose, trust me, you'd be outta here by now," Gladio agreed, "But, as far as I'm concerned, you aren't, so there's nothing to feel sorry for." He joined Noctis, taking the offered steel wool while he picked up one for of rags and began swiping at the stains that were more easily removed. "We don't happen to have any bleach, do we?" he asked after the first couple of wipes did little to cleanse the red away.

"Hotels aren't typically stocked with cleaning supplies, unfortunately," Ignis pressed some folded gauze onto the scratches and held them securely in place as he taped them down. "And, I fear most shops are closed at this time, so that will probably have to wait until tomorrow. For now, just get what you can cleaned up." Making sure the wounds weren't bleeding through, he finished up, "Alright, that's it unless there's anything else that needs taking care of."

Prompto shook his head slowly and carefully sat up, wincing with the movement, "I think that's all of it...thanks," he subtly bowed his head as he used the bed to help him get to his feet, "I think, uh, I need clothes now," he blushed slightly, remembering that he was basically naked and just now felt self-conscious about it. "If I can find any clean ones," he muttered, recalling that one pair was completely ruined from blood, and the others were the same ones he had worn for days on end. But, he came to the conclusion that he'd rather wear the latter.

Getting dressed was something he had never imagined requiring as much effort as it did, and the searing throbs and aches throughout didn't help any. Almost every small movement was painful, and it felt like it wasn't just the injuries bringing it on. The moment he was decent enough, only throwing on the pants and shirt, he dropped himself on the bed, the simple everyday act wearing him out and leaving him breathless. He could actually feel the strain and weakness invading his limbs. The others were going about their own thing now, most likely cleaning up the mess as they talked among one another; the exact words and subjects lost to him as he wanted nothing but sleep.

His eyes eased shut, the temptation pulling him despite the terror and shame that still chided him with hostility. He was only like this for a moment before he jolted back up, the sensation of lulling off sending fresh waves of determination and warning through his veins. He couldn't sleep, not yet. Not after it has brought on nothing but suffering for the others and horror for himself; it was just something he would have to fight off for the time being. Coffee. He needed coffee, anything to stimulate him.

"Need something?" Gladio asked in passing to get some more warm water when he noticed the blond attempting to climb his way off the bed.

"Just need something to drink," he answered simply.

"All you have to do is ask, I mean I'm on my way over there, so it's no problem to just grab a glass of water," Gladio shrugged, turning back around.

Prompto held up a hand in protest, the signal going unnoticed to the other man, "Wait, what I meant was...well, I could really go for something a bit stronger."

"Never took ya for someone who enjoyed that kind of stuff," the shield smirked, "But, I highly doubt that's such a good idea right now."

"Wha-," the blond was confused until he was aware what it was Gladio thought he meant, "No, no, not that." He cleared his throat, "I mean something with caffeine, you know, like coffee or something like that." Looking away, he went to finish getting up.

"No," Ignis was quick to intervene, "That is far from what you need; what you need is water and rest. So, I suggest you have some of that, then going to sleep." His words weren't harsh, but they were certainly final and set in stone; his face unbudging from its authoritative appearance. "I understand you not wanting to do so, but it's the best you can do for yourself right now, alright?" His face softened slightly, not wanting to come off as too harsh for the time being.

The younger seemed hesitant, but after a few seconds of debating the notion, he slowly caved, knowing full well there was no objecting to Ignis when he was like this. He did usually know what was best, so if he said so, then he'd trust him. "Right," he leaned back, trying his best to relax into the sheets, but that small and nagging voice was forever present in the back of his head.

Then the thought hit him, 'why do I have to listen to him? Who is he to decide what's best for me?' He blinked a few times when those inner voices came off almost venomously. 'No, he's right, he only wants to help,' he argued with himself, 'Just trust him.' Mixed feelings swirled around, ranging from thankful to spite, all of them directed at the same target, "Shut up, just shut the hell up already," he turned to his side and gripped at his head as they voices only spoke louder, 'I don't have to listen to him,' 'I can decide things for myself,' 'He's only keeping my best interest in mind,' "Stop," his hands tightened, drifting to cover his ears; but, it didn't help, they only shouted louder, "Shut up already!"

The deafening silence that followed his unforeseen outburst alerted him to the fact that he had just shouted that. He forced his hands away from his head and stared blankly ahead, the feelings still running rampant within. "Sorry," he muttered, hands gripping at his upper arms now instead. The air was stale and uncomfortable for a moment longer, only being broken when Prompto felt the weight sit next to him and the accompanying hand of its owner lying over his own, but gentle enough so as not to jostle it too much.

"Look, we're right here," Noctis said softly, hoping his tone wasn't offending the blond with how gentle and catering it may have come off, "I don't know how this must be for you, but just know that we won't let this get too out of hand."

The other involuntarily scoffed at that, "Little late for that," he sourly muttered, curling up a little more under the touch. For some reason it felt wrong, like it didn't belong. He turned his face to be pressed into his pillow, "This is too much," his words came out muffled. "I think I wanna be alone," he whimpered, shrugging Noctis' hand away. But, as he felt the shift, he twisted around, and had to use both hands in order to get a proper hold on the other's arm, "Wait."

He stopped immediately, "Hmm?"

"I-I changed my mind," the gunner whispered shyly, "I'd prefer if you...stayed." He released his hold to turn back around to his side and face away until the heat left his face. He didn't know why that embarrassed him so much, but he supposed it just made him look weak and vulnerable...just like he felt. "Please, don't go," he added under his breath once he could no longer be seen.

Noctis sighed in content and went ahead and made himself comfortable, expecting to have to be there for some time, or at least until he fell asleep, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," he promised, propping his own pillow up so he could lean against the headrest. "Try to get some sleep, I'm pretty sure you didn't get a whole lot these last couple days." He glanced over and saw the steady rise and fall from his evened out breathing. "Well, that didn't take long," he breathed out, but remained where he was; it wouldn't kill him to stay by his side for at least a few minutes.


	12. Takes Two to Tango

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
> Alright, so I am absolutely terrified right now uploading this one, not sure how people are gonna take it because of how vulgar some of the language is. and for the excessive swearing. ;w; I'm so sorry, but in my defense, malevolent spirits don't sugar coat things.
> 
> But yeah, fair warning, language will get worse a bit later.

"I think that about does it," Gladio sighed, taking a step back to view the wall as a whole, "At least until we get that bleach," he added, pressing his lips together at the stains that lagged behind, leaving rust-hued evidence. "I'm not sure how much more of this we can take," he admitted, feeling the stress of it even weighing heavily on him.

Ignis cleared his throat from where he was seated, chair dragged next to the window where he had the side of his head resting, "From the way things are going, not much more," he gave the answer none of them wished to hear, but one they all knew deep down. Glancing at the blond, gazing over at his pale and curled up form, he continued, "It's already taking quite a toll on his body, the strain of it wearing him down quicker than I care for." The man turned back away, "To be frank, I'd be surprised if he can even still walk come tomorrow night with the way things are going."

Noctis' chest tightened at that last comment, "He literally just nearly killed me, I doubt lacking in strength is much of an issue right now," he kept his voice low to prevent waking the other up, "I had to give him a blow to the head to get him off, and even that didn't knock him out." The others heard the stiffness in that revelation, clear that it was difficult even for him to think about, "It was hard enough, dammit." His hand clenched, the feeling of the vibration the blow caused still fused into his muscle memory.

"That doesn't mean a thing," Ignis pushed himself up to stroll over next to them and sat himself on the edge of the bed, "Despite how much strength or ability he shows when it's...not him, it doesn't reflect his real condition. Right now his body is a step above a puppet," he nearly spat the foul taste of those words, "And it will continue to use him until one of them gives out."

"So..." Noctis lowered his head, his right hand unconsciously gripping the sheet next to him, "What you're say is, this bitch is going to destroy him from the inside until either it gets cast out or until Prom...dies?" He cut his eyes to peer through dark fringe to see the subtle and reluctant nod, causing him to clench his teeth further, "In other words, Luna needs to pick up the pace." With that being said, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time; almost six in the morning now. Another sleepless night for the others then, "I'm calling her, this can't wait anymore," he declared, nearly throwing himself off the bed. "Please, keep an eye on him."

Ignis nodded, "Of course." Did he honestly expect him not to? "Gladio, mind bringing the painting in? We can't leave it out there, and I think everything is calm enough to do so." As he listened to the departing footsteps, he inched closer to the blond and extended a hand to brush some loose hair out of his face to take in his appearance. The color was practically non-existent anymore and there was obvious signs of his discomfort etched on even in his sleep. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" he whispered, removing his hand in order to pull the cover higher up over his form.

"Alright, where do you want this damn thing?" Gladio eased his way back in, towing the canvas as he struggled to keep the noise to a minimum.

The adviser glanced to the empty bed and nodded towards it, "I believe under there will suffice, just make sure it doesn't stick out, don't need anyone tripping over it." The shield did as instructed, slowly sliding the painting along the floor until it was hidden from view. As his hands parted with it, he flicked his attention at the small whimper that sounded out, a hint of a guilty pang racing through him. "Don't worry, I doubt he's waking up anytime soon," he assured, seeing as his eyes remained shut and he quickly quieted once more. "Or we can hope that's the case."

"So, what now, we just sit around on our asses until Lunafreya gets here with her miracle remedy?" he didn't mean to sound so on edge, but that's exactly what he was; with the lack of sleep and the constant worrying and stress, it was a wonder they all hadn't snapped by now. "And what do you suppose we do if it gets worse before then? It's already clear this thing is getting stronger by the hour, and before we know it, we won't be able to restrain him."

The absence of a response was something he hadn't craved at that moment, "So, that's it I guess," he continued, sitting on the free bed, "Just wait like sitting ducks until someone competent comes along." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, "And then what if she gets here and there's nothing she can do?" he voiced the concern they all had on their minds, "Hmm? We just pray to the Six that it resolves itself? We try to wait it out and spew some bullshit that if he just fights it, then it'll be fine?" He sighed heavily, running a hand through dark locks, "Or do we try to make him content while this thing slowly eats away at him?" he dropped his hand back down to his knew with a loud 'smack'. "I for one don't want to have to depend on 'what ifs' and 'maybes.' I want some fucking definite answers."

"Gladio, no more of that," Ignis whispered, venom on the tip of his tongue, "I want some genuine solutions to this ordeal as much as the next, but I have to think about this realistically; there's no point in trying to figure out something we don't understand, not when time isn't on our side. If this weren't as precarious as it is right now, I'd be more than willing to indulge in other answers, but we simply don't possess that luxury."

The shield lowered his head in his hands, "Yeah, I know that, but still..." Silence fell between them, the gravity of that minor exchange taking time to sink in for the both of them; nothing but their own breathing and the occasional hitch from the blond making a sound.

Ignis glanced over his shoulder when another light groan met his ears, this one more pronounced than the last, "Prom?" he asked, getting a small cracking of his eye in response, "Apologies, didn't mean to wake you," he turned back forward to gaze at the floor, "You should probably get back to sleep if you're able."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The abhorrence in his voice was unexpected, catching both of them by surprise, "Up yours, s'not happenin'." He muttered a few other things under his breath as he started pushing himself up with another small whimper. A hand going to rub at his right temple. "Hmm, sorry, I didn't mean that," his tone inherited its usual innocence. He dragged himself to lean against the back of the bed, a single hand resting over his chest as he sighed deeply, "I just feel so...angry, I guess, but, I'm not," he tried to explain.

The brunet simply nodded, "With good reason, emotions that are transferred ove-" he was cut off by a few harsh coughs, a couple whimpers and winces following when the sudden movements jostled his wounds. "I'll get you some water," he opted for instead of finishing his statement. He got to his feet with ease and drifted right over to the sink and grabbed a glass. "Prompto," he began filling the container, "I know this is going to be a rather rough ride, so I don't mean to impose, but I ask that you try as well as you're able to keep...it...at bay until The Lady arrives." He knew it was asking a lot, but he didn't know what else they could do.

He didn't get an answer, not unless he considered those extra coughs a reply, but there was a drop in his chest at how they sounded; they didn't sound right. Picking up the pace, he finished filling the glass and swiftly joined back with the others, "Here, drink slowly," he held the glass out for him, almost forgetting the condition of his hands, "Are you able to hold it?"

Prompto nodded and clutched it with both hands, and, now with his mouth uncovered, the adviser caught sight of the speckles of red decorating the corner of it, fresh looking at that. "How are you feeling?" Ignis asked as the glass was lowered, narrowing his eyes at the new crimson stain on the rim of it.

The blond cleared his throat and winced, "If I'm being honest, then like shit," he openly admitted with a false chuckle to lighten the confession, "Tired, nauseous, and everything hurts." He blew a puff of air out and slowly relaxed further back. "And I don't know how I want to feel, emotion wise." Blinking a few times, he stared down into his glass, "I don't know if I should feel rage, fear or upset; or if I should feel all three for that matter. It's like a mix." He closed his eyes and lowered his head as a few twinges pricked the inside of his skull.

"Is there anything else?" the man pressed, not worrying about boundaries at the moment, "Anything at all."

The gunner hummed in thought before shaking his head, whining a bit when the pricks escalated into full blown stabs, "No," he uttered. "Nothin'," his palm dug into his temple, forming small circles in the area in an attempt to expel the dull and festering throbs. Seeing the glass tilt slightly in his grasp, Ignis quickly took it in his own to prevent it from spilling all over the bed; the action going seemingly unnoticed by Prompto.

He sat it on the side table with a subdued 'clank', yet still enough to rip the younger form his minor trance, "I despise this; I absolutely detest every bit of it," he drew his knees up to place his forehead against them. "I just want it all to be over, I want out of this, please I just want it to end." His voice crumbled to fractured shards at the end, breaking off at the end as his bit into his lip to control himself and keep his emotions in check, "Why is that so hard?" He breathed in a shuddering breath to calm himself and turned his head to the others, "Hilf mir...bitte," he gasped out, "Please..." He choked on the plead, trying to swallow down a surfacing sob.

Ignis' heart cramped at the unfamiliar language, and the eerie silence from Gladio told him he heard it as well, "What did you just say?" he asked, keeping his tone from climbing into that of alarm.

"Didn't you hear me?" he replied acidicly, "I said I want this whole damn thing to be over."

"Prompto, I mean after that, something we didn't understand," he cleared up.

The blond met his analytical gaze, holding it for an uncomfortable amount of time, and shook his head, "Nothing." He lowered his face back to hide away in the sanctuary of his knees, "I didn't say anything."

Gladio grunted lightly, "But, you kinda did, we heard it," he followed Ignis' example in trying not to sound too accusing in his allegation, "Hirf...hurf...something like that."

"Hilf mir," Ignis corrected, never taking his scrutiny from the younger's coiled position, "That's what was said, do you not know what it means?" Again, he denied ever saying that with another head gesture, "Do you know any other languages?"

Prompto's pulse began to race, thrumming relentlessly and dangerously through his veins, "No," he answered plainly, "I donnnn't," murmured, voice falling into a bit of a low hum, "No."

"Are you positiv-"

"Yes, I'm sure!" he snapped, hands roughly disheveling his hair. "Ok, I don't know any other goddamn language, how many times to I have to repeat myself?!" The outburst left him panting, a slightly wild glint in his eyes, "I just don't!"

Ignis cringed at the strain in his voice, the thickness from being saturated in misery springing his regret for pressing the subject further than it should have been pushed, "Right," he breathed out, "I just wanted to be one-hundred percent sure, I didn't mean to invade." He held up a surrendering hand, "I'm only trying to figure things out for the benefit of us all, so that will consist of a few questions."

"Well, if you have questions, then ask the damn questions. But, if I already answered it, then stop fucking asking it." His mouth was set in a hard line while he breathed heavily through his nose; his chest heaving with each inhale. From the looks of it, he was on the verge of lashing out at any second.

Gladio stood up and went to sit between the two of them, legitimately concerned for Ignis' safety at that moment, "Hey, everyone just settle down, everything is fine, so just take a deep breath," he held a hand out in front of both of them.

It startled him when it was harshly smacked away on Prompto's side, "I don't need your patronizing shit!" he seethed between clamped teeth, jaw virtually fixed in place, "I don't need it, and I sure as hell don't want it." He stared the shield aggressively in the eyes, almost challenging him to say or do something. "Erbärmliche Existenz" he uttered, setting the larger man with a disgusted look, "Nichts als ein Stück Scheiße, das diese widerliche Welt verschmutzt." He was now leaned closer, breathing heavily as a dimmed current could be witnessed waving across his eyes. "Fucking patheti-" he was cut off by an unpredictable and harsh gag, his head barely managing to lower itself in time before the mess was evacuated.

Gladio leaped to his feet, narrowly evading the ejection as it spluttered where he had just been sitting, "Holy shit," he muttered, "Prom? You alright?" Ignis was left speechless, never having seen that coming himself. But, once he gathered his wits, he rushed to gather some rags to start cleaning it up. "Prom?" Gladio asked again, crouching to try and get sight of his face.

Prompto was holding himself up on unstable arms, a couple more tinged drops fell from his still open mouth. And, he actually chuckled, an unpleasant and unsettling pitched sound cackling from the back of his throat, "Damn pitiful," his voice was a little hoarse, but still just as adverse as it had been previously. He laughed again, a bitter and anguished noise, "All of you...feeble wastes of flesh." He spoke quietly, as if talking to himself.

Rounding the corner, the adviser set right to mopping everything up, hesitating momentarily when he caught the swirls of red, but quickly shook it away; the whole time, Prompto stayed how he was, not bothering to so much as move out of the way. He just remained there, heaving breaths and watching the man work through blond locks. Giving Ignis a small grin, he spat a bit of leftover blood-infused vomit to join the rest. "Who is this?" he asked after a moment, seeing none of the kid they've come to love in those features.

"Das wüsstest du wohl gerne, was?" he remarked snidely, flicking his tongue to lick his lips as he finally sat back upright, "Guess what? It's none of your damn business." Prompto kept a close eye on every movement the brunet made, nervously swallowing any time he would cut it close. So, despite his vulgar and threatening exterior, there still seemed to be trepidation residing underneath. As long as he kept a level head and didn't show his own anxious disposition, everything should be relatively alright for them.

So, he just nodded, and turned his attention back to the task at hand, "What, you too good to reply, you sniveling servant of a man?" Still, Ignis said nothing, "So, that's it huh, Mr. High and Mighty, doesn't even have the balls to say anything else? Wertlos," he bit, "Wertlos, wertloser, rückgratloser Abschaum," this time he literally spat in his direction, the spittle striking the side of his face; and, against his flourishing frustration, he mustered enough self-control to merely swipe it off with the back of his hand. Though, he felt relief that it was him and not Gladio, he would not have been so composed. "Mach's Maul auf, du Wichser! You prideless ass-kisser of a peasant!"

"Alright, I've heard about enough out of you," Gladio fumed, stepping closer once again, "Possessed or not, I don't care, but I'm not gonna stand back while you spew your nonsense." He wasn't sure if he should have been furious or disturbed at the fact that he had the audacity to laugh at him.

"What's wrong, did I hurt your boyfriend's feelings?" he feigned regret, exaggerating a pout and everything, "Fucking weaklin-"

"I think it's time you shut the hell up before I drag you right out of that body myself," he spoke lowly, gripping the collar of the blond's tank top in his hand, marred chest forgotten in his moment of passion, "If anything, you're the real coward, hiding behind a shield." Both bandaged hands reached up to overlap the man's determined ones.

"Lass mich runter, Schwachkopf. Always so quick to choose the violent route like a damn uncivilized beast," he bared his teeth at him ever so slightly, eyeing him up and down and waiting for him to make a move. "What are you waiting for, 'drag me out'."

"Gladio, release him," Ignis instructed calmly, "You're doing exactly as it wants, just let it go; giving it a negative reaction isn't going to help." He thought about it for a moment, and with a huff, dropped the blond back down, giving him a glare as he walked a few feet away before he got the urge to do something he'd regret.

Prompto laughed again, mocking and victorious, "I knew it, you don't have the backbone! 'Drag me out?' Viel Glück. I ain't going any damn where; I happen to like it in here. I don't know where this sickening pile of flesh spawned from, but it's delectable. So much self-doubt, festering secrets hiding in here. All der Schmerz, hier könnte ich ewig bleiben. You better slit this fucking throat if you want me gone," he leaned his head back to expose more of the tender area. "All it takes is one quick slash."

The shield just shook his head and turned away, "Hmf," he grunted.

Ignis finished cleaning the bed off, having no choice but to leave the sheet on for the time being, no way was he going to persuade this thing to move. Up until this point, he's been amazed at how calm he'd managed to be, holding it together until that minute sniffle echoed from next to him. He cut a wary eye over and his impenetrable front collapsed in the blink of an eye. The blond seemed to be reduced to a curled up ball of apprehension, shoulders shaking and eyes chaotic with terror, "Bitte," he mumbled, his tone light and cautious.

"You back with us?" Gladio spoke up, hearing the shift from where he was, "Say something."

"Ich will hier weg, aber ich schaffe es einfach nicht," he wailed, tightening his form into a more condensed coil, "Bitte." He grew quiet after that, uttering incomprehensible words to himself before his body began shaking again.

"Prompto, come on, I know you're in there," Gladio tried to get through.

"That was close," the blond sighed out, "That insufferable bitch just doesn't know how to stay down." He twisted his attention back to the others, "She tries so hard, but that damn whore hasn't given up." He grinned at the shocked expressions staring back, "Don't tell me, oh dear. You two really believed I was the only resident?" He let out a ridiculing chuckle, "It's a fucking tango in here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And sorry for the shorter chapter, but I wanted that plot twist and cliffy so bad. ^-^


	13. By His Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> And she has finally arrived. OwO I really hope I got Luna in character enough, first time writing her, so I tried my best. >__<
> 
> And also, there is one translation in this where Google will say it says Carrot...for some reason, but just know that it's suppose to be like 'Idiot', not Carrot. XD

Noctis more than aggressively clicked the 'end call' option, not out of anger, but perhaps more out of pent up frustration and growing concern. He sighed and put the device away to stare up at the sky for a few moments; not too much longer and this could all be behind them...he hoped. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his gaze and continued to follow the streets, weaving through the crowds as they continued to multiply; most likely the news had reached a good percentage of the city by now. All it took was on whisper and information on the Oracle would spread like wildfire. Which at this point in time was more than a nuisance to him, they were doing nothing but getting his his way and hindering his pace. And, for a second, he genuinely debated warping, considered drawing all the attention to himself just to save some time.

His body slipped into moving on auto-pilot, no, longer thinking about the movements he was making his he drew closer to the location. "Hang on, Prom, not too much longer," he silently promised, his throat tightening as he shoved down the memories of the previous night. His neck still throbbed painful, and his arm stung fiercely, but he tried to ignore it, knowing it couldn't possibly measure the amount of suffering his friend had to be going through right now. Seeing the regret and guilt in his face once he was himself again told stories of that.

Finally reaching the docks, he took a minute to catch his breath and took a seat on one of the benches while he waited, keeping his head low and hidden so he could at least wait in peace for a while. Impatience was quick to rear its ugly head and he checked the time, grunting in annoyance when it was only a couple minutes; there was still about an hour to go. But, he didn't want to leave this spot, wanting to grab her and rush back as soon as she was spotted. "Excuse me, sir?" he glanced up at some guy that looked to be dressed in a sort of authoritative attire.

"What?" he asked, a bit snappily, but he didn't care how rude he sounded right now, the mood to deal with others has long since spoiled.

"You need to clear this area, we have very important people arriving and we can't allow civilians in this area at this time. So, you're gonna have to scram." he made a waving motion with his hand that struck a very sensitive nerve.

He cut his eyes at the man and scoffed, "I have every right to be here," he said lowly, refusing to budge, which of course, was not taken kindly by the officer who took that as a welcoming sign to try and use force, "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" he bit as a hand was wrapped around his wrist tightly, "I told you, I have the right to be here, so let go already."

"Sir, I'm not going to repeat myself, you need to leave the premise or I will resort to violence to remove you from the area," his free hand reached for what looked like a baton as he spoke. Out of instinct, Noctis summoned his own blade, raising it in an offensive manner with a glint of rage in his eyes. This caught the other off guard, a weapon materializing out of thin air, and then the realization struck him, "O-oh, my bad, Your Highness, I didn't recognize you," he stammered over his apology nervously, fumbling with replacing his baton to its rightful place.

The king's posture relaxed as he dismissed his blade, but he didn't respond, knowing that whatever came out wasn't going to be pleasant, and royalty or not, would just make this situation worse. Instead, he averted his glare, not even wanting to look in the same direction as that man, and luckily, the hint was received as he heard the departing footsteps. After enough time had passed for him to be well enough away, Noctis glanced around the area, noticing how desolate it had become, and looking to his left, he found the crowds of people, just like him, waiting for that boat to arrive. And, his irritation spiked back up; he didn't have the composure to deal with this nonsense, why couldn't they all just go home?

But, there was nothing he could do about it, technically he had no authority here, and he's pretty sure the only reason that guard let him get away with being here was simply because he was afraid of him; of what he could do if he got on his wrong side. He hated to admit it to himself, but he honestly believed he was capable of fighting back if he needed to. Closing his eyes, he tried to calm himself down before he had another outburst like that towards the next innocent came along just trying to do their job.

The time that drifted by became a blur, his mind running in circles as it busied itself with thoughts and fears of the things that could do wrong; and the remembrance of Prompto asking him 'what if this didn't work.' pelting the inside of his skull. And deep down, he worried that this was for nothing, not to say he didn't believe in Luna, not by any means, but there was always that chance. His hands unwittingly tangled together in his lap, thumbs running circles around one another in a mindless attempt at a distraction, but coming up short in that task. Teeth ground together and foot tapped restlessly; each passing minute felt like a decade, another moment spent doing absolutely nothing to help.

Rubbing both hands over his face and leaning forward, he muttered under his breath, "Dammit, Prompto," he ran his right hand through his hair, dense and slick from lack of washing, to the back of his neck. There, he held it for a while, not wanting to move, "Of all the things to get caught up in, it had to be this," he turned his head to the side, feeling the roughness of the gauze rubbing against his cheek.

"Noctis," he jerked up at the familiar voice, freezing and losing the ability to speak when he looked up at those bright sky eyes he hadn't seen in so long.

For a few moments, his mouth hung slightly open, the shock of seeing her taking its time in dispersing, "L-Luna," he faltered, hastily getting to his feet as his arms moved awkwardly; they sort of floated there, unsure of he should go in for a hug or a handshake, or what. It's been so long, he was no longer certain how he should behave around her.

"Step back," one of her escorts placed a firm hand on his chest and created some distance between them, his other hovering over the pistol at his side, "Keep your distance."

"Hey," Noctis started, not backing down, "Who do you think you ar-"

The Lady held up a hand to silence both of them, "Pardon, Cohors, he means no harm," she soothed, meeting the clearly anxious guard with a kind smile. "He's with me, the king of Lucis. I assure you, threatening him would not be in your best interest," her words weren't in any way harsh, but more so gentle and instructing. Turning her attention back towards Noctis, she bowed her head, "Please, I ask that you fill me in on this dilemma," her face switched to that of a more serious one, showing that she was ready to get started as soon as possible.

He nodded, "Right, you think there's a chance we can get somewhere alone to talk about this?" he cut his eyes over to her two escorts, hiding no enmity towards them. "I think this is a bit of a personal matter."

Before either of them could protest, Luna gave one curt nod, never turning in their direction, "You two are dismissed for the time being," she gave them their own small nod, "But worry not, my safety is guaranteed from here on." One of them stumbled over his words for a bit, but ultimately gave in.

"Right, as you wish, My Lady," he bowed and reluctantly left the two alone, the second following suit as he cast a few wary glances back at them.

"You'll have to excuse them, they can be...protective," she said, "But they mean nothing personal by it, but with the way the things are..." she didn't finish that thought. Leaving the part about the betrayal unspoken, she changed the subject, "If you don't mind, do you think you can bring me to where it started?"

Noctis nodded, "Yeah, it's a bit of a walk though, and with all these people. Hey, you don't mind taking a few back roads, do you? It should be faster and easier."

She raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "Whichever you think will be the quickest." She allowed her arm to be taken as she was lead through the abundance of people, most of which were more than rudely pushed and cleared out of the way by the king; he was taking none of it and didn't care how this made him look. "Don't you guys have anything better to do with your time?" he complained, squeezing through the worst of it and quickly ducking into an alley where he stopped to gather himself. "Well, probably not what you're used to, but it works," he breathed out.

She offered a sly smile, "I can promise you, that was nothing."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can handle more than that," he agreed with a light laugh, "Alright, let's get going, I'll fill ya in on the way," he said, his expression dropping, all humor draining, "Tell you what I know, anyway," he looked away as he took the lead, keeping his eyes forward to keep her from witnessing any flashes of vulnerable emotions, "He's, uh, he's not doing to good though," he took a deep breath, "It's getting violent, and it's tearing him apart; and, well, there's nothing we can do abou-" he broke off before he could choke on the last word.

He paused at the hand resting on his shoulder, "Noctis, there is no need to talk about it if you do not wish to; I understand it's difficult, but if what you told me is true, then he's doing exceptionally well at keeping the malice from completely overtaking him. So, for that, there is reason to hope." She slid her hand away, "Though, that being said, there is still the need for haste, so let's try and hurry," she linked her arm back through his and gave it a tug, "Keep your head up and be the friend that he needs."

"Yeah," he shook his head, feeling a tad embarrassed at almost losing it like that; he really needed to start getting it together. He wasn't going to do anyone any good if he was too busy feeling sorry for everyone.

It took some time, but eventually he guided her to stand at the top of the stairs. Now, even he was hesitant upon descending, but she had no issues with doing so. "Wait," he reached out, his hand meeting air, "Are you sure, that's a good idea?" He asked, slowly taking the steps one at a time, shoving his unease aside in order to remain close by her.

Luna said nothing as she reached the bottom, and took her precious time in pacing around the room, taking it all in as she walked. Every now and then she would stop to gaze upon one of the various paintings residing down there, or to stare off at nothing as she tried to read the atmosphere. "You said there was a larger painting, if I recall," she quickly scanned the room, looking for it, "Where is it?" She turned to look Noctis in the eyes, and he saw the tinge of subdued alarm in hers, making him hesitate.

"Uhh, it's, uh, back at the hotel," he jabbed a thumb back out the entrance, "We figured it'd be better to keep it safe, seeing as damaging it hurts him and all," he lightly rambled, feeling the severity of that mistake weighing down from her look alone.

"Take me there," she nearly demanded, swiftly going back up the stairs, "Having the item of origins that close to him will do nothing but make the entity more powerful," she spoke with importance, leaving no room for questions at the moment, "Take me to him."

He was at a loss for words, frozen in place at that knowledge; the fact that they unknowingly made this thing worse was near sickening to him, "W-what?" he stammered, tripping over one of the steps on his way back up. "What do you mean, 'more powerful,' more powerful than it already was?" he blabbered, "You mean, like," he swallowed harshly, "More damaging to him?" He forced himself to get the question out.

"Noctis, you need to get me to Prompto, now."  
________________________________

Throughout their walk, Noctis focused on nothing but setting one foot in front of the other, thinking only of getting back to the others now. Sure, nothing has happened during the day yet, nothing too hazardous anyway, but with the way Luna was clearly distress about the painting, an uneasy knot tied in the pit of his stomach. He felt light-headed and slightly nauseous as they drew closer. Silently, he cursed himself as well as the other two for thinking taking it there was a good idea, but they didn't knew, he was aware of that; yet the regret of it continued to strike at him.

He only slowed down once they were a few yards away, again sensing a ping of disquiet; something felt off, really off. And, turning to face the other, he knew that she felt it as well, her face laced with anxious worry. "So, this is it," she said more than asked as she brushed by him and towards their door. "Noctis, no matter what, you must not react in any negative ways, do you understand? They feed off that, and thrive in one's unfavorable aura."

His eyes widened, and his chest tightened, but he nodded, "Ok, I understand. Just act natural."

"Precisely," she turned back towards the wooden door and placed her hand on the handle. Slowly she turned it and eased it open. The first thing both of them became disturbingly aware of, was the strong scent of vomit, but they ignored it and went on. At first, they heard nothing, which was quickly replaced by a few incomprehensible words, sounding a lot like Prompto.

"What?" they heard Gladio reply, "What the hell do you mean?"

They pushed their way through the rest of the way, now standing in the doorway, they were able to hear the response. "Didn't ya hear me, are ya fucking deaf?" Prompto leaning forward on his hands, staring the shield down, "I said, 'It's a fucking tango in here.' You really are as dumb as ya look aren'tcha?" he laughed, "Need everything spelled out for yo-" he paused, eyes snapping over to the newcomers, "Well, what have we here?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Prompto?" Noctis asked, going to step forward, but Lunafreya held a hand before him.

"That's not him, Noctis," she reminded, stepping out in front of him to get closer.

The blond kept a close eye on her, watching her every move closely as he scanned her up and down with a disgusting smirk on his face, "Who's the bitch?" he asked, licking his lips, "She's a fine lookin' one, don'tcha think?"

The king's hands gripped at his sides; he knew this wasn't his friend, but it sounded so vile coming from his mouth, so impure and repulsive. He struggled to hold his tongue, going as far as to bite down on it to prevent himself from speaking out.

"Ich würde gerne so einiges mit dir anstellen," he practically purred, running his hands down the length of his body in mocking strokes, "What's the matter sweet cheeks," he crawled closer to the edge of the bed, "Why don't you come on over here, I don't bite," he bared his teeth with that. "Or are you too much of a damn prud-" he coughed again, a gagging and choking sound and his head lowered until it touched the sheet. "Halt dein Maul, Schlampe," he spat into the bed, "You insufferable slut." For a few seconds, he breathed heavily against it, shaky and uneven, "You're not going any damn where," he growled, "Not then, and sure as hell not now."

Luna said nothing, showed no reaction to his words, but instead inched forward, "What the hell do you want?" he lifted his head enough to glare daggers at her, "Huh? You here to try and get us out? To 'save' this sorry excuse of a human?" He smiled at his own words, "Er hat schon längst aufgegeben. I don't think he wants saving," he teased, "He's been so quiet and...agreeable." Using one arm, he went to push himself back up, but even now he seemed to struggle with it.

"You're suffering," Luna finally spoke up, crouching a mere foot away, "I don't believe you truly want to be here," she narrowed her eyes to gaze into his dull and glazed ones.

"What the fuck would you know? You don't know a damn thing, you intolerable wench," he spat, a dribble of red-tinged saliva dripping out of the corner of his mouth. The way she just stayed there, unfazed by anything he said irritated him even further, "Verzieh dich, bevor ich dir den Hals umdrehe. Foolish overrated skank."

He went to reach a hand towards her, but Gladio was swift to step in, instantly grabbing hold of that arm in order to pin it to his back, "Try to behave," he grunted as the younger tried to fight him off, but with some internal struggle of his own, he didn't put up much of one.

"All of you, all of you can rot in the eternal flames," he snarled, trying to yank his arm free, but to no avail, "Ich hoffe Ifrit fickt euch alle," he laughed, "I will dass ihr so lange wie möglich leidet bis ihr langsam daran zugrunde geht."

The blonde leaned in closer and placed a caring hand on his cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze, "Don't fucking touch me you vile cunt!" he shouted, trying to jerk his head away, but her other hand was instantly on the other side of his face. "Geh zurück auf den Strich, Hure." Her face never faltered, no matter how much he insulted her, and that's what ticked him off the most, "What the fuck is wrong with you? You got some mental issue or somethin'? I told you to get away from me!" He twisted his head to the side in a futile attempt to bite her.

"You're trapped in this world, and I know you truly do not wish to be, but something is binding you here, isn't it?" she asked, pure sympathy in her tone.

"Schnauze!" he shouted in her face, "Schnauze, schnauze, schnauze!" He paused, heavy pants huffing from his open mouth. "Nothing 'binds' me here, you bimbo," he moaned lowly, "I choose to be here, you understand? I fucking CHOOSE to be!" He kicked his feet, a new wave of determination to break free flourishing, "Verdammt, runter von mir, du Volltrottel!" he spoke over his shoulder.

"Where's the painting?" Luna asked, turning her attention over to Ignis, "You need to get it out of here, as far as you are able for the time being."

At that moment, Prompto flailed his free hand outward, making an attempt to grasp at her throat, but due to the thick wrappings of the fingers, it slipped right off, She instantly put a little bit more distance between them, but refused to show her unease with how close that was. "Miserable tamp, go suck a dick and choke on it," he seethed through bared teeth. Clearly she struck a nerve with that one.

"Certainly," Ignis nodded, wasting no time in retrieving the canvas.

Prompto's head twisted in his direction, as far as that body would allow it to go, "Nimm deine dreckigen Hände da weg. Nothing but a glorified brown-nosing butler!" He coughed again, his voice straining to come out clearly, "I bet you'd wipe someone's ass if they told you to."

The adviser ignored him, blocked him out as he dragged he painting from its spot and headed straight for the door, shutting it loudly behind him, "Get the hell back here!" Prompto yelled, gasping as another choking gag threatened him, "It won't do you any goo-" he hacked again, letting his head fall against the mattress as he spit some sort of substance out. Gladio could feel the deep breaths he was taking, almost desperate, "Getting feisty," he muttered, with far less venom.

Seeing the slight calm he acquired, Luna eased closer again and gently shifted his face to look at her. She gently cradled it in one hand, "It's alright, all this anger and rage, it's only because you no longer belong in this world. The sooner you depart, the sooner you can move on from it all."

Prompto lifted his gaze, a small trail traveling out of the corner of one of his eyes, "How many times do I have to tell you?" he half mocked, half pleaded, "I want to be here."

She gave him a soft smile and leaned her head forward until their foreheads touched, "I'm not here to harm you in any way; I'm here to help you. Allow me to do that, will you?" She closed her eyes, face scrunching slightly at the amount of emotions she felt through him, the presence of them both, battling for the front light. "You hold a grudge against her, don't you?"

"Of course I do," he growled, shaking his head free, causing her to back off again, "Why the hell wouldn't I?" He narrowed his eyes, "The fuckin' bitch murdered me in cold blood!" He was left breathless, chest heaving for oxygen, "I can't let her get away with it."

She nodded slowly, "She'd already gone, you staying here is doing nothing but elongating the suffering of you both," she tried to reason, "By holding her to this world, it's damaging your own soul; it's doing you more harm than it is her."

"Interessiert mich nicht," he mumbled, "Interessiert mich nicht." He seemed to relax though, letting his head rest against her hand.

"I have a feeling that isn't the whole story," she tried to press, "There is more to it. She had a reason to do what she did, didn't she?" There wouldn't be that much stored sorrow and misery otherwise. "What did you do to her? You can tell me, I'm not here to judge, only to assist you in your departure; don't make this more troublesome than it has to be."

He took a few deep breaths, debating if he really wanted to open up or not, "It's none of your business," he stubbornly declared, bucking again, but the man on top of him wouldn't budge and moving was becoming burdensome, "Dammit, can't you guys...just..." he whimpered in frustration and agitation, "Go away," he covered his face with his arm, a sudden sob wracking him, "Just stop already."

"Tell me what happened?" Luna asked again, not backing down from her question.

"It was soooo long ago," he drawled out, "The Lady, she wanted a portrait, a fine one, and what she wanted, she got. But they're expensive, so so expensive," he whined, turning his head to look away, another tremor running through him. Noctis was still stood in his spot, silent the whole time, afraid to intervene at any time through this whole ordeal. "We couldn't afford it, so what better way than to force one to carry out their profession..." he trailed off and turned back to Luna, "So yes, we kidnapped that washed up bitch. She was done for anyway; homeless and due for death in the slums where she lived." He laughed sourly, "We did her a fucking favor!"

Luna's face faltered slightly, "A favor?"

"Of course!" he snapped, spit sprinkling her face, "She was doomed to die from some peasant disease, I'm sure. Mieses Dreckstück," he fumed.

"I see," she replied, "And you truly feel as though you were helping her?" she questioned, clearly not buying it, "We both know that's not true, and now, your guilt and remorse is preventing you from leaving." She ran a hand down the length of his face, "But, you need to understand, all this revenge, all this lingering bitter emotion, it's not doing anyone any favors; especially not the individual you're residing in." She could see Noctis slightly finch out of the corner of her eye, but ignored it. "I assure you, the next world is much better suited for you, you need only to accept it."

Gladio felt the tension drain from beneath him, "Ich bin müde," he mumbled, removing his arm from his face, "I want to rest, but it hurts," He whined, "Everything hurts."

"And it will continue to cause pain the longer you remain," she stroked a hand through his hair, "Release your hold, that's all you have to do, drop your penance, and you'll be free to rest for as long as you need." He nodded slowly, and she felt the weight against her hand increase. "That's it," she encouraged, "Not much longer, and you'll be free."

After a moment, he blinked sluggishly, "Vielen Dank," he whispered, glancing up at Luna, "Darf ich jetzt gehen? Bin ich frei?" He sounded exhausted, his eyes half lidded as he lacked the energy to even put up a fight any more. Fresh tears trickled down, his breath hitching as emotions were swallowed down. "Vielen Dank," he repeated, lifting his hand to lay over hers.

"You can rest easy now as well; both of you; you've done your time in this world, it's time to move on." She eased her hand away as he slowly went out, quickly falling into a deep slumber, "Gladio, it's safe to get up now, it's over," she sighed. Standing up, she strolled closer to Noctis, "You should probably be with him, I know he'll be wanting you when he wakes up."

Noctis nodded and looked past her, watching while the shield moved him over to the clean bed; he was completely limp in his arms, pale and so fragile looking. "I-Is he gonna be alright?" he asked tightly, throat dry.

"I assume he will need quite a bit of rest, but he will recover. Having two entities struggle for dominance in his body has taken a toll though; both on his body and mind, so he won't bounce back as easily as one would from normal ailments." She glanced over to him, "He's a strong one though, so I have no doubt that he'll be fine after some time." She turned back and gave him a soft smile.

Both of them turned towards the door, Ignis panting as he crossed through as he gazed around. "Is it over?" he asked, noticing Prompto knocked out in the other bed and everyone standing around. Luna nodded. He sighed in relief, "And they are both gone? There were two."

"I assure you, they've both moved on, it took some convincing, but in the end, they were able to pass."

"And what of the painting?" Gladio asked, "I take it they aren't connected anymore?" he folded his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, back to the blond.

She hummed in confirmation, "I promise you, the picture can be returned to where it belongs, it is no longer a liability and will no longer cause harm." She switched her attention back to Noctis, "Be patient with him, Noctis, he's bound to be confused and disoriented when he wakes up, so he'll need you there to reassure him. Don't let him feel as though he's not safe. He will be in a very vulnerable state from all this; prone to emotional suffering from the wearing down on his entire being. I cannot stress that enough."

"Don't worry, I can handle it," he assured, and abruptly, he threw his arms around her, "Thank you," he whispered, afraid that speaking any louder would reveal his surging heartbreak, "I really don't know what would have happened..." he didn't finish that thought as he pulled himself away and immediately went to be by his friend's side. He sat down on the other side of Gladio, closer to Prompto's head and waited for some sign of life.


	14. Remnants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting
> 
> If anything seems off in this chapter, I'm blaming it on not sleeping. Also, there will only be one more chapter after this one. ;w;
> 
> Next one will be longer since it has a lot of stuff to wrap up.

It hurt, everything hurt and burned, and it was unbelievably unbearable. He wanted to return to the comfort of the enveloping darkness, anything to escape this feeling of utter and overbearing chaos. Everything felt so damn crushing and he could not for the life of him determine what the hell was going on; but, whatever it was, it undoubtedly terrified him. It was like being lost in nothingness with no idea how to begin to climb your way out. Paralyzed with a unrelenting threat hot on your heels. And, the longer he remained in this mentally fabricated limbo, the more everything ached and the more repulsed he felt. Panic was quickly growing to be his best friend, becoming the only thing he knew and the only thing that hindered him. He wanted out of this suspended hell, but he was trapped here, and that's all there was to it.

It felt like ages that he was bound in this void, and still nothing changed; there was still that crippling sensation of impending calamity. And, for some reason, his thwarted mind went to thoughts of Noctis and the others; where were they? They weren't here and that set his anxiety plunging deeper into the abyssal darkness. But, deep down, he knew they wouldn't just abandon him like that, especially not Noct, not after all they've been through. That's right, he wouldn't leave him. Struggling, he found the motivation to attempt and get his bearings, not that there was much to go off of here. He had to get back to the others; he had to know they were there for him to lend him their hand.

'Noct,' he aimed to call out, though he knew there was no point in it, there was no one near to hear him. But, as he thought about them, imagined them there waiting for him to get back, he swore he could almost hear them. Though, he couldn't discern whether it were really them, or if he were simply hearing what he wished to hear. But, whatever it was, he appreciated it and used that to hook him and reel him back in.

Everything started to feel heavy and sluggish, but he felt alive at the very least; if you could call it that. Pain was continuing to plague him, but now it was a constant submersion instead of the previous pulses. "-ompto?" he could hear it, and staggering elation wanted to burst out of him, but it was still just out of reach. Trying to say something, he felt something tear out of his throat with searing agony, but he doubted he actually produced any words. "Prompto," that was definitely Noct, no doubt about it. Following soon after, he could feel a shift next to him, could feel the sheets beneath him and the hand that gripped his own.

"-oct," he uttered, his throat rough and scratchy, protesting heavily against the use. He didn't care and tried again. "Noct," he slurred out this time, trying to off a small smile, but unsure whether he were succeeding with that or not.

"Ignis!" he yelled off somewhere to Prompto's right, "He's awake!" the sheer volume of it send stabs through his head and he groaned against it. "Sorry," the raven muttered, realizing the discomfort he caused in his excitement.

He could here the soft and calculated footsteps rounding the corner, but he still found difficulty in forcing his eyes open. "Prom?" the adviser asked, crouching next to him. The blond could feel the shift as he leaned closer in order to whisper, "Can you hear me?" Painfully and slowly, he nodded once; that simple action taking far more effort than he would have cared for. There was a small exhale, sounding like relief to him, "Good, that's good."

"Wha-" he started, wanting to ask what was going on, but he choked on the word, his throat finally having enough of his efforts to speak. Wincing, he turned his head to the side to try and alleviate some of the soreness; as he did so, he felt something damp and cool slide off his face before it was swiftly replaced.

"Shh," that was Noctis again, "Don't try to talk yet, just nod or shake your head, understand?" He nodded reluctantly. "Alright, do you think you can handle drinking some water?" Again, he complied, his mouth and tongue begging for the refreshment of it. "Ok, just...sit tight," he said, regardless of the fact that they both knew he wasn't going anywhere.

Now somewhat alone, he took the opportunity to try and lift his lids, neither of which wanted to cooperate. But, with enough determination and stubbornness, he managed to open them a sliver. The light that smacked his vision, momentarily blinding him, and he was forced to close them back for a few seconds and give it another go. He repeated this for a few seconds, the actions very quickly transitioning into rapid blinks. "I hope you know, you scared the shit outta us," if he had the strength to jump, he would have been on the floor, so instead only his eyes reacted to the sudden voice.

"Gladdy," he croaked, cutting his eyes over, not feeling up to actually turning his head. His focus was questionable at best, but it was enough to make out his large form sitting on the opposite bed, slumped slightly as his elbows rested on knees.

"The one and only," he smiled back, standing to move closer and sat on the bed containing Prompto, on the other side that Noctis had been on. "Been out for nearly twenty-four hours there, Ignis was about a second from takin' ya to a hospital," he laughed, despite the fact that he hadn't objected to the proposition. "But, Noct said you would've hated it and to just give you a bit more time."

Prompto took a deep breath, thankful that it hadn't come to that, "Good...choice," he nodded marginally.

"Offer's still up if ya feel like you need to go though," he raised an eyebrow, but Prompto swiftly shook his head, dizziness swarming him with the energy he wasted with it. "Alright, but if that fever spikes again, you're going regardless if you want to or not," he folded his arms over his chest and set the blond with a smug grin. "Seriously though, it's, uh, good to have ya back."

The blond merely smiled back and gave a very small hum. "Alright, you're gonna have to sit up for this," Noctis sat the glass on the side table for the time being until they could get him up. "Just, nod when you're ready."

He waited a moment, trying to move any other limb first, finding that he could only move each one about an inch before it became too much and throbbed too much, forcing him to relax them again with a pitiful whimper. Taking a deep breath, he gave the go ahead. "Gladio," Noctis gestured for him to help and both of them took a side, wanting to do this as quickly as possible for Prompto's sake. "On the count of three. One, two, and three." they both eased him up to lean against the back, the process earning them a couple of gasps and whines.

His eyes clamped shut against the waves the washed through him, taking in quick and shallow breaths to try and get the pain under control. "Take your time," Gladio spoke softly. "No one is in a hurry."

Why did everything ache so damn bad? It seemed to be the worst in his chest, and glancing down he could kinda see why. He didn't seem to be wearing a shirt, but covering his chest there were white bandages, slightly speckled with red, "Wha-" he started to ask, but ended up coughing, cutting him off. Trying to move his right hand to grip at his pounding chest, he was swiftly reminded of just how drained he really was; and glanced down at it, he found it in the same state as his torso; bandaged thickly with dots of red at the finger tips.

Ignis stepped in, taking Noctis' spot by his side, "Here," he grabbed the water and placed himself next to Prompto, "Small sips and drink slowly," he instructed, not even offering him to hold the glass as he lifted it to his lips and eased a very small amount in. He took it away in order to give him time to swallow that little bit before letting him have more. And, though the going was slow, eventually he had about half the glass down before shaking his head against any more and the glass was placed back on the table.

He took a minute to calm himself down enough to speak, and went straight to the question that was burning the back of his throat, "What the hell happened?" he wheezed out, glancing down to his chest and hands.

"You don't remember?" Noctis asked, unsure if he should be relieved or concerned. Obviously it was worrying if he had forgotten things, but at the same time, he didn't want him to remember anything from that night. Prompto thought on it for a few seconds and shook his head, staring down at his fingers as he tested out bending them. "It's fine, there's no need to worry about that," he assured, sharing a quick glance with the other two, silently telling them not to say a word about any of the stuff he did or said.

Ignis took a deep breath and got back to his feet, "Well, you must be exhausted, you should probably try and get some more sleep, and when you wake up we'll see about getting you to try and eat something," he gestured for Noctis to have his seat back and waved for Gladio to follow him. "Oh, I almost forgot," he pulled the bottle of pain medication from his pocket and tossed it over to Noctis, "Only two."

As the two of them made their way out the door, Noctis glanced down at the bottle, "You should probably take some," he suggested, seeing the blond flinch with another try a lifting his arm. He hummed his agreement, and as embarrassing as it was, allowed Noctis to pop both capsules in for him and hold the glass for him.

"Thanks," he muttered unenthusiastically, pausing when he caught sight of the bandage on his friend's arm. "You are, what happened?"

He hesitated, almost forgetting about it himself, "It's nothing," he brushed off, "Let's just get you lying back down.

Prompto tried to jerk away when he felt the arm wrap around his shoulders, "No, tell me what happened," he set him with a hard look, refusing to let the matter go. "I did that, didn't I?" he slowly realized, subtly remembering the coppery taste. "I-I bit you." Well, at least he didn't seem to recall the attempted murder part.

"Yeah, kinda," Noctis shrugged, "But it wasn't you, so it doesn't count." He pulled his arm away and out of the other's sight, "You did a lot of things that wasn't you, alright? But, you can't blame yourself for them."

The blond bit his lip and leaned his head back, "Alright." Gods he was tired, but he didn't want to sleep yet, so many things he was still confused about, and so many things he needed to get off his chest about this whole thing. "Where's Luna?" he suddenly asked, catching the other by surprise, "I thought she was here."

"She is," the raven met his eyes, "She has a few things of her own to take care of, she said she'll be coming back by once all that's done though to make sure, you know, that it really is all done." He caught the unease on the gunner's face, "Not that, they're gone, for good. No more evil spirits making you their personal vacation home."

Prompto laughed humorlessly at the poor joke, "I hope you're right," he lowered his gaze, "That was literally the worst," he cleared his through, trying to hold himself together. "You know," he leaned his head back again and sniffle slightly as he gazed up, "For a while there, I actually thought, 'what's the point?'" He paused, blinking against the stinging in his eyes, "It just got so hard to keep it together, and I thought, 'just give up, just give in, it'll be less painful.' And, at some point, I was actually praying that my body would just...give up," he shrugged and took a shuddering breath. "Pathetic, I know," he chuckled again and let his eyes drop back down to his chest.

To his surprise, Noctis laughed at that, like real laughter, "H-how is that funny?" he asked, too shocked to really be angry about, but still confused.

"Well, you're still here, so obviously you didn't give up," he summarized, "If you ask me, I think it's pretty damn impressive that you were able to hold out like you did." He reached out to lie a hand over Prompto's wrist, trying to avoid the fingers, "What, you wanna sit and feel sorry for yourself when instead you could be proud about withstanding not one, but two possessions? And you know what, I bet you anything that Cindy would by quite amazed by that as well."

The blond blushed visibly at the praise, as well as the mention of the goddess herself, "You...you really think so?"

"Yeah, dude, it's pretty freaking awesome, honestly not sure how ya managed it, but you did," he sighed. "So, you uh, you ready to lie back down now?"

"I think so," he yawned, the pain meds finally kicking in, doing no favors for his exhausted state. Slowly, Noctis worked on easing him back down, again get a few whimpers from him whenever he was jostled too quickly or unexpectedly. He was showered with multiple apologies up until the moment he was settled in. "Really ready for this part to be over," he mumbled. "You're staying here, right?"

Noctis took a seat next to him, "Well, wedding's kinda canceled, so I don't have anywhere else to be," he deadpanned. Yawning, he stretched out next to the blond, subtly remembering what happened the last time he decided to do that. Right, Prompto had almost forgotten about all that mess while he was dealing with his own.

"Hey, Noct?"

"Hmm?"

He chewed on the inside of his cheek, glancing between his friend and his right hand, "I, um, I saw what happened to them," He huffed a breath out, "Both of them, I saw how they died, and I understand why there were so regretful now." He closed his eyes, only opening them when he felt something cool touch his forehead.

"Still have a bit of a fever," Noctis commented, taking the rag next to him, "I'll be right back, gonna go re-soak this. He worked quickly and returned in less than a minute, "You can tell us about that later, for now, I think it's best if you go on back to sleep. There's plenty of time for discussing things," he pulled the cover back over him. "Besides, the others will wanna hear it, so may as well, wait for them to get back."

"Yeah," he slowly closed his eyes, the effort of keeping them open was even now getting tiring. It didn't take long for him to be out again, consciousness fleeing him almost as soon as he accepted it. And, despite him being asleep, Noctis still remained next to him, not wanting to move himself, still somewhat afraid to leave him alone deep down.

\-----------------------------

"What's up?" Gladio asked as Ignis ushered him along, strolling rather quickly down the alley to the left of their room. The adviser didn't speak as he swiftly lead the way, walking with a purpose and with fire in his steps. "Hello? Speak to me Iggy," he skipped forward to walk next to him, "I kinda need to know what we're doing.

"We're moving the painting, simple as that," Ignis replied, but the look on his face told that he had something planned. "It's rather heavy, and I would prefer not carrying it by myself." They rounded another corner as he guided them closer to the canvas. And, soon enough, he lead them to a dead end. "Alright, this is it," he clapped his hands together and stepped near a dumpster where he reached behind it, revealing the picture. Without assistance he hauled it over and leaned it against one of the brick buildings. "Oh, I didn't really need you, by the way, but I assumed those two would have liked some time to themselves for a bit."

Gladio grunted, "Right, so what are you doi-," his eyes widened as the man reached into his pocket and retrieved a bundle of matches, "Iggy, what are doing?"

"Wrapping things up," he answered simply, striking one of the matches and stared at the dancing flame for a moment. "It may be over, but we can't risk anything else happening because of the cursed object." What he said and what he felt were completely different though. If he were being honest, he plainly despised this painting for everything it now represented, resented it for all the hardship and suffering it had caused.

"Ignis, are you insane, if anyone finds out..."

"They won't," he lied the match at the bottom right corner and watched as it caught flame, the reddened edges eating away at it and destroying the memory of it. "No one will have to deal with it anymore," he muttered.

Gladio stood with his mouth hung slightly open, "I can't believe it, I can't believe you're actually burning it."

"Burning what?" Ignis asked, with a feigned confused expression.'

"What do you mean what? The damn painting," he gestured a hand towards it.

The adviser crossed his arms and glanced around, "What painting, I have no idea what you are on about, but I find it quite disturbing." The shield rolled his eyes at what he was doing. "I think we should get you back to the hotel to get some sleep, because I believe you are in need of some; all this ridiculous chatter of paintings and burning."

"Alright, alright, I get it; I didn't see a thing," he played along. "I won't say a word about this." It didn't take long before the entire thing was being consumed; what was once gorgeous and skillfully crafted was now slowly falling apart, paint melting from the form and canvas pealing from its wooden frame. Gladio focused on the small scratch upon her cheek until it was no longer recognizable, nothing more than a remembrance.

Together they watched until it was nothing but ashes and metal frame, all remnants now fluttering away due to the limited draft. Sighing in relief now that it was finally over for good, Ignis sauntered over and stomped out the remainder of the embers and lifted the frame up, "Mind opening that for me?" he nodded to the dumpster.

"Sure," he stood by and stared intently as the frame was thrust in and he immediately dropped it shut. "So, that's it huh?" he asked as Ignis brushed off his hands, "We're finally through with this shit show?"

"Not quite," the strategist sighed sadly, "Remember, it will still take some time to get over it, and even longer for Prompto to come to terms with it all." He glanced back down the alley towards their place, "But yes, the worst of it is over, and it can only go uphill from here," he offered the other man a light smile, "We just have to make sure it stays that way." Waving Gladio along, he head back towards the others, "We should get going, I still need to clean their wounds; I haven't had the chance to get that done yet." Gladio followed suit, glancing over his shoulder at the charred wall and ground, the last of the smoke now clearing away, leaving nothing behind but a tainted smudge in their lives.


	15. Power of Compassion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: SinikkavonWolperting  
> Welp, this is it, the last chapter for this story. ;w;
> 
> I really hope this suffices as a nice enough ending, as I said, I'm not typically good with endings.

Noctis glanced up as the others returned, but otherwise stayed where he was, "What were you two up to? Sneaking off like that." Not that he particularly cared.

"Just wrapping some loose ends," Ignis replied, heading to the kitchen to get their meal under way, "I hope everyone is alright with stew, since that's what I plan on making." Of course, no one objected to it, knowing he had only planned on that so that Prompto could have simple broth. "I suspect Lunafreya will be joining us?" he asked, flicking his gaze to the king, "After all, she wanted to check up on Prompto, and this is probably the best time to do so."

The raven sighed, glancing over to his phone on the side table, "Yeah, besides, I still haven't told her that he woke up and was...himself." He scooped it into his hand and stared down at it for a moment, "I'll go let her know, so I'll be right back." Carefully, with a watchful eye on the blond, he eased himself off the bed, being extra cautious not to disturb him. And, now that he was in the clear, made his way out the door.

"You ever wonder what he says to her that he always has to be alone?" Gladio asked with a sly smirk on his face.

Ignis rolled his eyes, "Do try to keep your thoughts to yourself. The Lady is a bit too modest for such things."

The shied held his hands up defensively, "Hey, I didn't say anything, you're the one that filled in the blanks." He lowered himself in one of the chairs at the table with a grunt, "Man, I am tired," he lightly complained, rubbing the palms of his hands over his eyes. "I'm ready to hibernate for about a week."

"Well, there is a second bed, you know," he put the water on the stove and began heating it up, "The sheets have been replaced, so it's fine; it won't kill you."

"Yeah, I know," he replied, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Yawning, he gazed back down at the other, "How much longer ya suppose we'll be here?"

He hummed to himself as he began chopping an onion, keeping his attention on his task, "Considering recent events, we could still be here a while. What with travel still being a sensitive matter and security being more cautious than ever, it could be well more than a few weeks. Not to mention Prompto can barely move at the moment, so even if that weren't the case, we'd still be required to take some time here."

The other nodded slowly, hands now drifting behind his head and he cracked an eye open to glare in the other room, finding the blond still out like a light and straightened himself back up, "Reckon he's gonna be like that for the majority of the next few days." He wasn't sitting long before he had to get back up, "I need something to do, Imma go crazy if I have to stay stuck in here for that long."

"Then go for a walk," he dropped the onions in the pot and reached in the fridge for the carrots, "It's still rather early, so the chances of you getting lost are slim."

"Don't feel like it," he mumbled, slowly walking over to the window to peer outside and folded his arms over his chest, "Ya'know, I still can't help but feel a little worried about this whole thing," Ignis' gestured noise for him to elaborate sounded out, "How much do you suppose he remembers about everything? I mean, about that stuff he was saying? Obviously, we all know it wasn't him, but I don't think he would differentiate the two," he turned to face back towards the other.

Idly, the brunet went about his business, having thought about the same thing himself earlier, and honestly it nibbled at his mind on and off. "If what that thing said was true, and he really was checked out, then I have no doubt he'll remember any of that. But, malevolent forces aren't known for the truthful natures, so there is the sliver of a chance." He breathed out heavily though his nose, "If he doesn't though, we are not to say a single word on the matter; I think we'd all prefer that certain memory to be extinguished."

"Don't have to tell me twice, I assumed that was common sense," Gladio shrugged and walked over next to the bed to sit at the foot of it, "I'd prefer if he were to just forget everything over the last few days if I'm being honest with myself."

Ignis finished dropping all his chopped components in the pot and gently placed the lid over them, "I'm sure we'd all wish to forget, but I do believe it would be best if we didn't. It provides a very important reminder of what could happen, of how vulnerable we all really are. And, of course, things aren't always what we assume them to be," he sighed on that one, the guilt still clinging to his chest. "Best we can do is learn from it, and learn to trust one another a bit more."

That particular part stung at the other a bit, "Yeah, yeah, I think I figured that out already." He felt the light shift and glanced over. "Awake again?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "That didn't last long, but I guess you did sleep for about a day." He lifted himself up and made his way to crouch before the blond, quickly checking everything out, "Well, at least you don't feel as warm as earlier," he mumbled taking his hand from his cheek, "How ya feelin'?" He got an annoyed mumble in return and cracked eye to glare at him with, "I'll take that as a 'crappy,'" he lightly chuckled. "I'll get you some more water," he offered, taking the now lukewarm water in order to replace it with some fresh and cool, "Didn't go through all that just to have to die from dehydration," he muttered.

"Thanks," the blond uttered as Gladio helped him to sit up, the process going a bit easier this time around than it had earlier; that's not to say it went smoothly though. Again, the glass was held for him as he took a few generous sips, the liquid going down a lot easier than earlier. Once he had enough, he glanced around, "Where's Noct?"

The shield nodded towards the door, "Talking to Luna, asking her to join us tonight."

The other blushed slightly, "So she's uh, she's coming here?" he looked absolutely horrified. "In this room...tonight?"

"We don't know yet, but that's the plan," Gladio narrowed his eyes, "Do you not want her to?" He watched as Prompto darted his eyes a bit, looking a bit nervous.

Taking a deep breath, he finally settled on the other, "I-I do wanna meet her, but not like this," He scanned over his body, his barely working body and back to Gladio, "It's embarrassing. When I thought about meeting her, I didn't think I'd be stuck in a bed." He cleared his throat and leaned his head back, "I wanted to at least be able to stand before her, ya'know."

Gladio nodded as he listened on to the light rambling, "Prom, calm down," he motioned his hands in a downward gesture, "Trust me, this is an improvement from what she saw yesterday; I'm sure she will be more than thrilled." The shield placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "You're overthinking it, deep down, she's a person just like us, so trust me when I say, she really won't give a shit."

"You sure?" he asked, still not completely convinced; seeing her as such a higher being, his standards had been set pretty high for the day they'd finally meet face to face.

"Positive," he promised, patting his hand down before getting up, "Alright Iggy, I know you've been itching to get your hands on him, so it's your turn." He brushed his hands together as he gave Prompto an overly sympathetic look to take his place back at the table.

The blond's eyes widened when he saw the adviser disappear and reappear with the medical supplies in hand, "I apologize, but your bandages need to be changed, and it's not going to be pleasant." He strolled over and placed the white box on the bedside table, "Gladio, keep an eye on the pot, make sure it doesn't spill over, will you?" He got the accompanying 'sure' and set himself to work. "Other than some pain, does anything else feel wrong?" he scanned his eyes up to stare into the other's, "Anything at all?"

Prompto shook his head as Ignis took hold of his left hand and began unraveling the wrappings, eventually revealing the ugly and maimed fingers underneath and he found himself cringing and glancing away. He could tell they were bad just by how they felt, but to actually see them... "This shouldn't take long," Ignis whispered, knowing how uncomfortable this had to be for him, both physically and mentally.

Once they were all pulled away, he dabbed the antiseptic over them, working quickly to get this done as fast and efficient as possible. As he carried this out, the door opened and they heard Noctis' footsteps slowly saunter in, hand stuffing the phone back in his pocket. "Well," he started, "That's it, she said she'll be able to join and check in." He paused to look over to Prompto, "You sure didn't sleep long." The gunner shrugged, followed closely by a wince as the cotton swab was pulled away.

"Just woke up," he replied plainly, cringing again.

"Sorry, almost done with this one," Ignis assured, exchanging the swab for some fresh gauze and began redressing. As soon as that was done, he placed the limb gently at his side, "Alright, next," he started, realizing what he was asking. "I'll just go over there," he awkwardly coughed, gathering the things as he remembered his lack of mobility.

Prompto breathed out heavily in annoyance, "I'm not completely helpless," he complained, attempting to lift his left arm, but only getting it a few inches before the shaking set in. "Just mostly," he mumbled, looking away.

"Don't worry about it," the brunet began repeating the process, "All in due time, be patient." He got this one done much faster, the damages being quite less severe than on the right. And with that, it was time to get to the part he dreaded the most and climbed onto the bed next to Prompto. Pulling the cover down, he peered at the red speckled bandages, "This one will most likely be a bit worse, so just try to stay still."

"I know, just get it over with."

He wasted no time in obliging and swiftly peeled the coverings away, cringing himself as they clung slightly. "I'll try to be as gentle as I can but I need to get it cleaned thoroughly," he warned, not giving the thought much time to process before pouring a generous amount over the open wounds. He hated the way the blond gasped and whimpered quietly, obviously trying not to make a sound. So, he gave the substance time to do its job and patted it away, "The worst is over, just need to cover it now."

Luckily, that part was easy going and in no time he was able to relax again, albeit slightly out of breath, but calmed down. "We done?" he asked, subtle pleading in his voice.

"Yes, I believe that's it," Ignis gathered everything up and put them away, "That's it for now, but it won't be the last time we have to do this." He caught the concerned expression, "But it shouldn't be as bad in a day or so, this will have been the worst of it." That seemed to pacify him a bit, "Everything going fine in there, Gladio?"

"Well, nothing's burned," he called back, sounding almost bored, "So, I'd say things are going well." Ignis still didn't buy it, this was the same man that considered cup noodles a viable meal.

Prompto kept his eyes on him until he vanished around the corner, his right hand trying to drift to his chest, which took far more effort and time than he would have liked. "Noct?" he asked, beckoning his friend over, who sat next to him, "I was wondering, aside from breaking Iggy's nose and uh, biting you, did I do anything else? Did I hurt anyone else?" His eyes shined as he thought about it, "Did I do anything to Luna?"

Noctis' heart skipped as he recalled some of his words, 'Miserable tamp, go suck a dick and choke on it,' "No, don't worry, you didn't hurt her in anyway, alright? Trust me, I was there to make sure." He pulled his legs up to cross them, "In fact, other that those couple things, you didn't do much of anything," he lied through his teeth, "Mostly just sat there."

Fortunately, Prompto dropped his head back, "Good," he breathed out, "Was worried there for a moment, I mean, don't get me wrong, feel terrible about what I did to you two, but if I...did anything to her, then it'd be a different story." His hand, what little it was able to, gripped at the cover that draped him, "And you sure...that they're gone?"

"One hundred percent."

"I'm relieved, they had it rather rough, so, I'm glad they were finally able to move on."

"Prom, they were destroying you, you realize that, right?" he raised an eyebrow, finding this amount of sympathy for them to be slightly unnerving.

He blushed a bit at that, "I know, but they, they didn't mean for that to happen; they were trapped and confused. I don't think they meant any of it." Slowly, he brought his other hand to join the first, "I think they just wanted to move on, but they were here for so long, it warped them, and they became lost and corrupted. I don't think they were originally horrible people, but the time they spent here ruined their perception."

"Well, they don't have to suffer anymore, so everything's right then," the king summed up, "Everything can go back to normal...mostly normal," he corrected, his face faltering.

"Right," Prompto looked down, "I doubt things will be the same, but there's always hope?" he tried, not sounding convinced himself. "Yeah, I knew that was stupid before I said it, but, nothing to really be done about it, I guess."

"We'll have to come to terms with it and get over it somehow," Noctis agreed.

As if sensing the souring mood, Gladio peeked around the corner, "Hey, when is she gonna get here, it shouldn't be too much longer before the food's ready." He spoke loudly, completely cutting off their conversation.

"I dunno, she said she'd be on her way as soon as possible, so how should I know?" He took out his phone to check for any messages, but instantly lowered it again at the knock, "Well, does that answer your question?" He looked over to Prompto who visibly paled at the sound, and for the first time since waking, he wondered what sort of shambles his appearance had to be in.

"How's my hair?" he quickly asked, unable to check it for himself. Rolling his eyes, Noctis turned his camera on and switched it over to the front camera before facing it towards him. He groaned at what he was looking at, "I look like a mess," he complained, noticing the different angles of his normally styled hair, and the paleness of his skin along with the darkness under his eyes. "I look like I've died," he mumbled, lined with humor. The king wasn't quite as amused considering how accurate he found that statement to be.

The raven shook his head, "Dude, she's really not going to care, trust me, she understands well enough to know you aren't gonna be exactly in presentable conditions, alright?" He groaned at the way he continued to stare at himself, and without much thought, he reached over with one hand and crudely combed through his hair until it was at least parted in its usual place, "There, happy?"

"No, but it's better than it was." He jumped slightly and shot his eyes to his right when he felt another presence, "Oh, uhhhh," he was frozen on the spot, eyes locking with another set of blue, "I'm sorry, I didn't-I didn't notice you."

Luna laughed lightly to herself, "It's quite alright, I should have said something sooner." He chewed the inside of his cheek, his nerves were obviously on edge, "You can relax, I'm only here under casual circumstances this time." She smiled warmly at him and quickly bowed her head, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in the right state of mind though."

Prompto was almost awkwardly staring back, "Yeah, uh, same," he looked down, "It's nice to see you and actually remember it."

"Feel free to have a seat anywhere," Ignis called over, "We'll be eating in there, seeing as, well you know." he avoided pointing out the blond's temporary incapacitated state mostly from his own currently fragile pride. "I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Thank you," she decided to take a seat at the edge of the bed, "Have you had any issues since yesterday?" she got right to it, wanting to know instantly if things hadn't fully worked out.

He quickly shook his head, wincing when it stabbed subtly, "Just a tad of soreness," he admitted, "But other than that, it's been...calm. But, there is something I wanted to talk to you guys about. I mentioned it to Noct, but he suggested I save it for everyone." He lifted his gaze to meet hers, "I know what they went through, and I thought that you all would want to know as well."'

Lunafreya looked genuinely interested to hear what he had to say, having not had the opportunity to hear much of the matter herself. "I think that'd be nice," she folded her hands in her lap, "I do wish to know exactly what they went through, to shed some light on the cause of their misery and regrets."

Prompto shared her compassion towards the two of them, especially after having felt their emotions and grief firsthand; he felt what it was exactly they were sensing, "One thing I can say for sure is, they didn't want this."

"Everything's ready," Ignis peered in to them, "Come and get you a bowl." He didn't wait for the others to do so and went ahead and scooped a few spoons of broth into a mug of the blond; he figured drinking it from that would be a fair amount easier. Cup in hand, he walked by the other two as they made their way, "Think you can hold it?" he asked, holding it out. Prompto nodded, and moved his hands enough for the mug to be gripped between them. "Careful, it's hot," he needless warned.

"Iggy, I got it, go get you something," he cocked his head in the other direction. "I'm not that hungry right now, so I can wait. And, from the looks of things, you guys are in worse shape than me."

He was set with one of the man's famous glares, the one that said he wasn't taking that kind of nonsense, "I'll get some once you drank that," he stubbornly crossed his arms, "And I'm not moving until you do. You can't very well do so by yourself yet, so let me know when you're ready." He didn't care about the fact that this obviously made him uncomfortable. Sure, being helped with drinking water was one thing, but to literally be spoon fed was a different on entirely. "No one is judging you, so the faster you comply, the faster we can get this over with."

Prompto took a deep breath and gave up, he knew there was no arguing against the man, "Alright." He ignored the fact that the others had come back with their own dishes, each of them taking a seat to dig in while he was stuck having Ignis literally lift his hands for him.

"Look on the bright side," Gladio started from the other bed, "Once you actually get your strength back up, you won't need this kind of treatment any more. But, the only way to get to that point is to suck it up and let us help you." The blond cut his eyes over, but said nothing, knowing he had a valid point. "Just enjoy it while you can, because you can bet your ass the moment you're better there won't be any leeway."

With that in mind, and as long as no one watched on, he finished that cup of broth, ecstatic to have it over with, "There," he mumbled when he was done, "Now, go get you something."

"As you wish," Ignis took the cup in his hands and was more than willing to get his own now that Prompto was taken care of.

"So," Noctis pulled his attention, "About those two, what exactly do you know about them?" The blond perked up as everyone was watching him now.

He thought about it for a moment, and got started, "Well, I don't know all the details, but I can try and sum it all up for you. All I really know is the one was a woman, and the other was a man. The female, she was an artist, an artist that got dragged into all that mess. She was held there, in that cellar, forced to complete that painting, they promised her they'd set her free and let her go once it was finished."

"And the guy?" Gladio pressed, "what did he have to do with it all?"

"He was, well he was one of the men that held her there," he looked back down, "He got a bit...touchy," he chose his words carefully, "And she fought back. There wasn't much she could use as a weapon, aside from her brushes, and I think you can figure out how that went." His voice faded off as he took a moment to collect his memories, "Anyway, she finished it, she got it done, and instead of letting her go, they killed her," he shrugged, blinking rapidly.

Noctis lowered his bowl to his lap, "How do you know all this anyway?"

Prompto jerked his focus back up, "I, uh, I dunno, I think I dreamed a lot of it, so I don't know if it's true or not, but it felt real enough." He fiddled his thumbs, seeing as they were the only unharmed fingers, "I'm pretty sure it was what happened though, it had to be."

With what they had heard the previous day, it did add up. "I see, well they don't have to endure that pain any longer," Luna reminded him, "They've moved on and are no longer bound to this world by their remorse."

The blond nodded, "Thank you, thank you so much. I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate it," he lowered his head to hide his face, feeling his eyes sting slightly, "I'm sure they appreciate it as well." He lifted his gaze as a soft and delicate hand wrapped over his own.

"There is no need for thanks, I did so simply because it was something that needed to be done, something that could not go unattended to." She slowly pulled her hand away, "It's quite astonishing though, that even after all that you've gone through, you still hold no ill will against them, and that shows just how caring your soul is, and I think they noticed as well; that's why they chose to cling to you. They knew you'd want to help them."

He didn't know why, but hearing that gave him a small sense of gratitude and pride; he wasn't sure if it were the words themselves, or the fact that it was coming from her, but whatever is was it made him feel a swell of honor. "Just don't think that gives ya permission to go and do it again," Gladio swiftly ruined the mood.

"Trust me, I'm not gonna go looking for any spirits in need of vacancy," Prompto assured with a snort.

"Good, I don't think we can handle any more of that," he pushed himself up and gathered everyone's finished bowls, "So, hurry up and get better so we can leave this place, I'm starting to lose it here myself." He flashed the blond a sly grin in passing.

Taking a deep breath, he relaxed into the sheets, already feeling tired again, "I just woke up," he complained and yawned.

Luna eased her way off the bed, "You should get some more rest," she urged, "No need to force yourself to stay awake, I'll be here for a few days more. Or at least until I have to give my speech, so there's plenty of time to talk about this if you still desire to do so." He nodded and slowly slithered down to lie flat, slightly relieved he actually managed it on his own this time. "Take care," she bowed and waved a hand as she turned.

"Thanks again," he mumbled, sight quickly being swallowed up, "And be careful," he quickly added. And, he found himself to be much more at ease with his anxiety draining him and having the comfort of knowing that they were right about her, she really didn't have an ounce of judgement in her. He caught her warm and heartening smile before he again lost the battle against wakefulness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, now that this is over, it's time to move on to bigger and "better" things.~
> 
> Hope no one is expecting things to go uphill. lololololololol

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so I just wanna be real for a moment here, and feel free to just skip over this part, it holds no significance to this story, just some stuff I want to say. But, it's still something I want to throw out there. I don't talk about my feelings or anything much, so this probably won't be happening again anytime soon. Anyway, I'll just go ahead and say it, I'm someone who doesn't think very highly of themselves, take that as you may, but I do tend to have a lot of doubting and at times hateful thoughts about myself. And I night, I can't do anything but think about everything I'm doing wrong. I don't tell people this for obvious reasons, but I have a point to this. When I write these stories, it's literally the only thing on my mind, so I don't dwell on those feelings, and I guess in a way, it is a sort of escape, or distraction. Almost just mindless typing. That's also why I think I write as much as I do; it's one of the only times I don't feel so worthless.  
>  Then I actually get people commenting on these things, people who actually enjoy these and only make it that much more rewarding. Despite knowing that one day, this stuff will mean nothing, it's still unexplainably gratifying to know someone is actually finding some sort of enjoyment. And, when he do start feeling unmotivated or start thinking horrible about myself, I do go back and re-read some of the comments, and it honestly does lift me back up, as cliche and dramatic as it may sound. But a lot of the time, they are literally the highlight of my day.  
>  And the more I think about it, the more guilty I feel, seeing as I don't put as much effort into these as I could be doing. I should be trying harder than I do, or else it seems like a disservice to those who genuinely likes these. But, then I thought even if my stories are something like fillers between the really nice ones out there, then I still feel good about them. And, I'm not gonna lie, I do get a bit emotional in a sense reading some of them, because it feels so damn nice to have those doubting thoughts drowned out by such positive feedback, and I can't explain enough how much I do appreciate it. And I do try to comment back to everything, and I know some of my responses may not come off as pure, but that's just my social awkwardness; I really do not know how to interact with people very well.  
>  Anyway, the point of all this, is that you guys are great, and I really wanted a better way to thank you guys. So, I was thinking of starting a little mini series as a way of giving back. I'll take requests and do little drabbles and one-shots. And they can be about any of the guys, don't have to be about Prompto, and they can be romance or anything you like. I just ask it not go into the x rating stuff if ya catch my drift. But, my Tumblr name is Elillierose as well, so you can message me there if you have any requests, or you van just wait until I have the first chapter out in that series to comment. But yeah, thanks so much. <3


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